Little White Lies
by Lorilozz
Summary: Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:**Little White Lies

**Summary:**Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **I'm still working on my other fic but because it's quite angsty I felt the need to start something a little more fun and lighthearted. I really hope you enjoy it. If you'd like to see the wonderful banner made by Elena (Typokween) please go to my LiveJournal page via the 'homepage' link in my profile.

* * *

Nathan Scott. God, he looked so much different than she imagined him. Where Lucas was blonde, quiet and reservedly charming, Nathan was dark, intense and charismatic. If she wasn't armed with the knowledge that they were brothers, she'd never have believed it. She watched as other students flocked to him like moths to a flame. It just wasn't natural. He was a freshman… freshman were supposed to be awkward and nervous and struggling to look cool to the other students who had been there before and paid their dues. So why was Nathan Scott strolling around campus like he owned the place and even most of the older students were in awe of him? And ok, maybe not all of them seemed to be 'in awe' but the others at least showed him a respect she was pretty sure he hadn't had the chance to earn yet. 

He started to move away from the ridiculous group of giggling girls he'd been flirting with and headed in her direction. Panicking at the thought of being caught spying on him, Haley quickly began backing away, unfortunately she failed to look behind her before doing so and cried out when the back of her thigh collided with a very hard object. Damn that was gonna leave a bruise. Oh well, she was a born klutz so she'd developed a high pain threshold over the years. If only a bruise were the worst of it, she thought a few moments later after she'd overcorrected her balance and toppled backwards, a loud crash filling her ears before she felt herself unceremoniously hitting the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping if she concentrated hard enough she'd not open them to find that she'd managed to embarrass herself in front of everyone at freshman orientation.

"Are you okay?"

The deep voice sent an involuntary shiver down her spine and she frowned at the unfamiliar sensation. She could feel the heat blooming on her cheeks and she just knew she was blushing profusely – not from embarrassment, but from the lust fuelled heat that spread through her body at the sound of a sexy voice uttering three simple words. Opening her eyes she found herself staring into the bluest orbs she'd ever seen and they looked so familiar to her. That's when it hit her. Lucas Scott. Those were Lucas' eyes. Only, it wasn't her best friend she was seeing because he wasn't attending Duke, he'd gotten a scholarship to UNC… which meant one thing, it was his half-brother standing above her. Seeing him close up for the first time she couldn't believe she'd doubted the likeness between them. From a distance they'd looked nothing alike, but those eyes so bright and full of concern were a perfect match to her best friend's. And he'd just turned her on. No! That wasn't supposed to happen. Denial set in quickly and Haley decided to put it down to the stress situation, or PMS - yeah PMS, she was always a hormonal mess in the days leading up to her period, the wiry guy she'd seen falling out of his smoke filled car with the greasy bangs this morning could have turned her on if he caught the right moment right now. Yeah that was it - PMS.

Quickly realizing that the one person she was supposed to be staying hidden from was now talking to her, she inwardly cringed. Shaking her head at her ridiculous klutziness, Haley knew she couldn't really be surprised by the predicament she'd gotten herself into. So much for her plan of staying inconspicuous! Great… half an hour into her 'covert' mission to get the scoop on her friend's currently secret-half-brother, and she'd already drawn attention to herself. Surely he'd never forget her now that he'd seen her embarrass herself so thoroughly. Covert, what a joke! James Bond, she definitely was not. She was just Haley James; plain old Haley James. Inwardly sighing, the brunette did a mental run through of her outfit, a pair of snug casual jeans, an old printed tee and a cord jacket. Yep, she was plain alright, but at least she was comfortable, which was more than she could say for half the girls here who were trying to pass off mini skirts and ridiculously high heels as everyday wear. Now she was just being nasty, she admonished. Haley quickly pushed down her self pitying thoughts and dragged her mind back to situation at hand. Pasting on a bright smile she went into recovery mode and accepted his outstretched hand. Once back on her boring sneaker clad feet she realized that she'd been so awestruck by this guy, no scratch that, this gorgeous guy in front of her that she'd failed to notice the chaos she'd undoubtedly caused around her.

"You idiot!"

Haley winced at the high pitched scream of dismay and turned to see an irate busty, blonde cheerleader storming towards her. If she wasn't so terrified of having her reputation eternally tarnished by this incident she would have found it comical.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you blind or just stupid? Look at what you've done!"

Haley surveyed what appeared to be the remains of an orientation sign up table and stall. The long trestle table had collapsed, taking flyers, and cupcakes with it, the baked goods now lying on the ground and the papers still being scattered by a light breeze. Seeing the pom poms lying next to the table, she shuddered, realizing exactly which stall she had ruined. Gulping nervously, she turned back to the vicious looking blonde and couldn't help but notice she looked like a life size version of a Cheerleader Barbie. Tamping down the wicked thought, she tried to look contrite but noted to herself that if the girl wasn't being such a bitch, maybe she would feel worse about it.

"I'm really sorry. I can be such a klutz sometimes and I really didn't mean to ruin your stall. I'll help you pick everything up."

Grapping her wrist in a vise like grip that proved to be painful, the Barbie doll sneered at her, curling her lip in distaste. "Don't even think about it. You've caused enough trouble! Looks like we've already weeded out the loser of this year's freshman class."

Taking a quick look around her, Haley realized that they'd drawn quite a crowd and while some people were looking on sympathetically, there were just as many snickering, no doubt glad that they weren't the ones to humiliate themselves on their first day at Duke. Fighting back the urge to cry, she took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders bravely.

"Look, I really am sorry about all of this, but if you refuse to accept my apology and let me help clean up, there's really not a lot more I can do."

Barbie's jaw dropped at the audacity of a mere freshman to speak back to her instead of groveling for forgiveness. She'd actually thought she'd found this years cheer-lackey. But the girl had too much bite to be bossed around all year doing the cheerleader's bidding. She actually felt a sliver of respect for the petit brunette. At least she did until she saw her speak to Duke's newest basketball star. That little bitch was talking to Nathan Scott! And she'd stood up for herself in defiance against her in front of all these people… oh well, she'd just have to make an example of her. The poor girl would be a social outcast on campus when she was through with her.

Haley had been about to flee the scene with as much dignity as possible before she realized that Nathan had been standing there the whole time. She stopped beside him and smiled slightly.

"Thanks for helping me up."

Before he could respond, she heard Barbie call his name in a shrill voice that reminded her of nails on a blackboard, and he glanced over the top of Haley's head with what could have been a smile or a grimace… she really wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to stick around to find out either. Using his distraction as a chance to escape, she quickly made her exit from the whole mortifying scene and walked back to her dorm trying not to appear as though her whole College experience was now possibly in tatters.

"Hey, are you okay?"

As she heard someone call after her, Haley tamped down the disappointment that it wasn't the same sexy voice that had melted her insides earlier. A vision of Nathan's strong jaw and hypnotizing eyes had her momentarily rooted to the spot, only coming out of her daze when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning to face the stranger, the brunette sighed with relief to find a relatively normal looking guy with a friendly face full of concern. With her parents being… well, kind of nutty, she'd developed an inclination for imagining weird scenarios… the main one at that moment being a psycho killer come to kidnap her. Of course, if she really thought about it, Haley was sure she'd come to the conclusion that the only psycho present was herself and this poor guy should be the one running off screaming in the other direction. Hmm, maybe being an ordinary plain Jane wasn't all bad. It seemed to hide the fact that she a complete nutcase most of the time, well except for the public humiliations… they were probably a dead giveaway.

Still a little unsure of the stranger, Haley sent him a reserved smile and a look that clearly said 'state you business please'.

Jolted into action, the guy quickly removed his hand from her shoulder obviously realizing it was probably kind of creepy considering they didn't know each other. "I saw what happened and I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Thanks."

Haley did quick sweep of the guy, hoping that it was discreet - although with the disaster that was 'operation spy on Nathan', she was probably failing in that department. He was an unusual looking guy. Kind of scrawny but with big features, she noted as she took in his large eyes, nose and mouth. Yep, that was one hell of a big mouth. As soon as she saw his amused smile, she knew he was onto her. Yep, she could rule out a future in the secret service.

"I'm Mouth, and I have to say I'm totally in awe of you right now. That was really gutsy standing up for yourself like that."

After managing to hold in a chuckle at his name, Haley blushed at the praise. She'd always been one to stand her ground and never bow down to other people's expectations, but that was just a value instilled in her by her parents, she'd never thought of it as anything special.

"Thanks mouth. I'm Haley."

"Can I walk you back to your dorm?" He continued before Haley could object, and he knew she was about to, she had that startled rabbit look, like she was already coming up with ways to let him down gently without seeming like a rejection. "And I promise I'm not coming onto you. I mean, you're really hot and all, but I'm just looking for a friend. I don't really know anyone here yet."

She smiled at his honesty, inwardly relieved that he was only looking for her friendship. He seemed like a really nice guy and he was kind of cute, but after feeling the embarrassingly strong reaction she had after meeting Nathan, Haley knew her interest in Mouth was purely platonic. And even though what she really wanted right then was to be alone and throw herself a pity party for one, she couldn't turn him down. She just knew that she might have found herself a really good friend in Mouth.

"Well this is me." Haley smiled at Mouth and gave him a quick hug. They'd had a nice time getting to know each other as they walked to her dorm and after swapping numbers they planned to catch up again soon.

"Ok, I'm gonna head back to orientation." He noticed her wince a little at the word and smiled encouragingly. "Try not to think about it too much. It'll all blow over."

"Thanks, Mouth. I'll give you a call in a few days, okay?"

She watched him walk down the hall and it seemed the further away he got the less she felt his optimism which had been keeping her from getting depressed over the earlier incident. Once he was out of sight she was back to feeling sorry for herself and wanting to indulge in a first class pity party.

Haley entered her suite and all plans of flinging herself onto the sofa and wallowing in misery fled her mind. Her previously clean and tidy suite now looked as though a bomb had hit it and she wasn't sure she'd be able to even find the sofa underneath all the clothing lying all over the room. Scratch that. She wasn't sure that all these scraps of barely there material could actually be classified as clothing.

"Hey Roomie!"

Haley spun around to see a gorgeous brunette exiting the bathroom. Well, apparently this was the girl she'd be sharing this suite with for the year. God, she was beautiful… no that didn't cover it. This girl was stunning and Haley felt a slight sense of worry wash over her. The last thing she wanted was a bitchy beauty queen room mate who looked down her nose at a lowly tutor.

Seeing Haley's face scrunch up slightly, the other girl did a quick sweep of the room and felt a little guilty. She had a habit of just taking over. Being an only child… and yes, she'd admit to being spoilt, she wasn't used to having to consider other people.

"Look, I know it's a bit of a mess, but I promise you it'll be cleared up in no time."

One look at the dimpled smile her new roommate was flashing and Haley let go of her apprehension. She seemed nice enough and the last thing she wanted was to get off on the wrong foot with the girl she'd be spending a year living with. "Uh-huh. You do realise that your closet is in your bedroom, right?"

Glad that she was being teased instead of told off, the other girl put down the clothing currently in her hands and placed them both on her hips in a diva-like fashion. "Ha ha. Yes I realize that… but what you obviously don't realize is that the way you organize your closet has a major impact on your whole fashion outlook. It takes planning and precision to get the perfect closet set up. I mean, could you imagine if I just hung these things up all willy-nilly. I could end up with this" Haley eyed the very mini white denim skirt the other girl was holding up, and then the lacy black chemise she lifted into the air. She shot the girl a questioning look which went unnoticed as she continued on her rant, "next to this and before you know it… I've mistakenly convinced myself that it's okay to wear a lighter bottom with a slimming top. My god, my ass would look like it needed it's own zip code in that outfit!."

"Oh yeah. Total fashion tragedy" Haley mocked with a smile, but it looked like the sarcasm was lost on the other girl.

"I know, right! Hey, I'm Brooke Davis by the way."

"Haley James. Nice to meet you."

"So, how long have you been moved in here? I thought the dorms only opened today, but you're all unpacked."

Haley blushed, realizing that her penchant for organization was probably weird to other people. She'd often been called anal, OCD and a few other things she'd rather not repeat… and that was just by her parents!

"Oh, um I got here early this morning actually. I just wanted to feel settled you know?"

Brooke looked at her with a guilty expression. "As you probably guessed I had a quick little peek into your room. I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't help myself. I was really worried I was gonna find freaky goth stuff like skulls and posters of Satan… and Marilyn Manson CDs."

Haley giggled as she watched Brooke's exaggerated shudder. She couldn't blame the girl really, she herself had quickly snuck a look at the second bedroom to see if her new room mate had arrived before her. Not that she actually expected them to arrive at the butt crack of dawn like she had. Just remembering her parent's constant complaining the whole two hour drive about their early start was enough to make her groan. It wasn't the first time she'd felt as though she was the parent and they were the children.

"Oh well, you're in luck then. I left my skulls at home and I prefer to do my devil worshipping in private… but you never know when I'll crank up the death metal."

Brooke laughed at Haley's sense of humour, pleased that she liked her new room mate. She'd been so pissed when her dad told her she wasn't getting a single room suite, all sorts of nightmare visions plaguing her of weirdo room mates and their freaky friends… so she was definitely happy with this girl.

"Actually, I think you may have something scarier than all that evil junk… what the hell is up with that ugly ass poncho in your closet?! I swear I had to use all my will power to keep my scissors away from the disgusting thing!"

Haley knew she should have been annoyed, but the girl had a point. Hell, her sister Taylor had been giving her shit about that poncho for years, not that she'd worn it for a long time, but she'd decided to keep it for sentimental reasons. "A quick little peek, huh?"

Brooke flushed, hoping that she hadn't ruined this newfound friendship with her snooping. "Oops. I'm a little nosy sometimes. I'm not really used to sharing with other people. Only child syndrome."

Haley laughed putting Brooke at ease. "Well, you're lucky I have six brothers and sisters. I'm used to not having any privacy!"

"Well I promise not to do it again" Seeing Haley lift an eyebrow questioningly, she sighed playfully. "Well I promise to try not to do it again. How's that?"

"I can live with that. Taking another look around their shared suite, Haley grinned approvingly. Besides the mountain of clothing currently covering every available surface, the place was really nice.

"I still don't know how we managed to score such a great suite. I thought I'd be sharing a shoebox."

"Oh, well Daddy's on the board and he refused to let me have a single suite, so I made him promise me one of the large doubles. And he wanted me to have a 'smart, responsible roommate who would be a good influence on me'. Guess you fit the bill."

Her dad was on the board? Haley could tell this girl was rich and popular, but she'd underestimated her. She was actually glad she'd met Brooke before she found out that information or she might have found herself pre-judging her. Sure, she was a bit of a prima donna but she also had one of those personalities that drew you in and made you like her instantly.

"So, have you been down at orientation?"

Haley gulped, remembering exactly what had happened just a short time ago at orientation and couldn't believe that she'd managed to put it out of her mind. Having this girl with her vibrant personality around might be just what she needed. At least she'd avoid the freshman fifteen if Brooke could cheer her up rather than eating a tub of cookie dough ice cream every time she was depressed.

"Um, yeah."

Brooke looked up sharply, noting the strange quality to Haley's voice. "Ok. What happened?"

Haley thought about brushing it off, but realized that half the student population would probably already be talking about it, so it wouldn't be long before Brooke heard it from someone else anyway. She explained the incident including every mortifying detail of her public humiliation and waited for the pitying to begin.

"You rock Haley James!"

"Huh?"

"Well, if your description is on the mark, it sounds like you had a run in with Becky Townsend. She's the captain of the Blue Devils cheer squad, and bitch extraordinaire. Besides me, I can't think of any one else who has stood up to her before."

"You've met her before?"

Brooke quickly brushed her clothing off one of the sofas, taking a seat and patting the cushion next to her indicating for her roommate to join her in a gossip session. Having had few female friends, Haley delighted in the thought of doing something so girly.

"I've been cheering since freshman year and Becky and I have crossed paths many times at tournaments. She thinks she's the shit because her team won a few titles, but nobody likes her. They're all just too scared to stand up to her."

"Great. So I've made an enemy of the captain. Hopefully she'll forget about it… and me."

Brooke winced slightly knowing that it wasn't going to happen. "Sorry tutorgirl. Becky isn't one to let things go… especially if Duke's new star Blue Devil has taken a shine to you. That'd piss her right off."

"Firstly, Tutorgirl? And secondly, he did not 'take a shine to me'. He was just being polite. I mean he spoke a whole three words to me… hardly an epic romance in the making." Haley was slightly disturbed to realize that she had felt a little flutter of excitement at the thought that Nathan Scott was interested in her.

Brooke laughed and responded teasingly. "Firstly… it's your new nickname. All my friends get them and daddy told me you're enrolled in the tutoring program. Hey, any chance you'll do all my homework for me?" Haley laughed as Brooke batted her eyelashes playfully.

"Not a chance."

Pouting exaggeratedly Brooke continued. "Fine. Secondly, you're probably right about Hot Shot. From his reputation I seriously doubt there's an epic romance anywhere in his future… more like on-again off-again drama with slutty cheerleaders."

Hot Shot. She guessed it was another one of Brooke's nicknames. Haley felt disappointment both at the fact that there really was no reason to think that he liked her at all. It was a stupid thought considering he was obviously just being a nice guy by helping her up… and also at the fact that he seemed to have a reputation. At least on the bright side, Brooke might be able to help find out more about him. She'd need all the help she could get considering how dismally she was handling the situation herself.

"Does that include you?" Haley struggled to keep a straight face and Brooke gasped indignantly before grabbing a pillow buried beneath a couple of her tops and smacking Haley with it.

A few minutes later, Haley breathlessly called a truce and both girls wearily lowered their pillows. She took one look around them and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"If this isn't cliché, I don't know what is. College girls and pillow fights. If were in our underwear we'd be every college boys fantasy right now."

Brooke smirked. "Even fully clothed, I'm every man's fantasy. I'm just that hot!"

Haley chuckled. "Conceited much?"

"Just a healthy self-esteem." Brooke's gaze roved over her new room mate who was wearing a casual, yet perfectly fitting pair of hipsters and a grungy looking tee shirt and did a mental checklist of how she was going to turn her from home town girl cutie… to college hottie.

Haley noticed the appraisal she was getting and wasn't sure she wanted to know what was going on inside Brooke's head. She was beginning to learn that it might be best not to ask.

"We're gonna have a blast this year, Tutorgirl! Just you wait and see."

* * *

"So besides that embarrassing, yet completely typical incident, how's your first day at Duke going?" 

Haley stuck her tongue out at her best friend who she was chatting with via webcam. She'd just relayed her orientation experience to him, carefully editing out the information about his half-brother. It had been Lucas' idea to stay in touch this way so it'd be just like them hanging out normally and she had to give it to him, it beat the hell out of a phone call. "Thanks for the sympathy, best friend!"

Lucas chuckled at her childish gesture then sobered slightly. "You're tough Haley James. I know you won't let something stupid like that get to you."

Haley felt a pang of homesickness as Lucas comforted her the way he always did. He'd been her best friend since they were six years old and since the day the two children had met they'd been practically inseparable. Her childhood held just as many memories of times spent with Lucas and his mother Karen as it did of her and her own family. They had become her second family, and their house and Karen's Café were second homes to her.

"Don't go getting all weepy and girly on me James. You promised college wouldn't change you."

Haley laughed remembering their long and ridiculous talks about how Lucas would inevitably become the college stud, getting his pick of all the girls and how she'd transform into a self conscious girly-girl who'd simper around after the star Quarterback.

"I'm not going to change Luke. Four years from now I'll still be the same little old Haley James you know and love."

"Ha! That's debatable."

"Shut up Luke. You know you couldn't live without me."

Um… Hales. Is there something you need to tell me?"

Haley inwardly froze while trying to keep her face as relaxed and normal as possible. He couldn't possibly know could he? No, Karen would have let her know if she'd told Luke. In that moment she felt like scum. She'd never kept secrets from him before and this was bigger than most… it felt more like a betrayal.

"Haley? Have you turned into a lesbian on me?"

"What? No!" A flabbergasted Haley was shocked, her mouth hung open as she watched her best friends amused smirk. Where the hell had that question come from?

"Then why is there an almost naked chick prancing around in your living room?"

Haley spun around to see Brooke putting on a little show for her best friend and not being subtle about it at all. "Hey cutie. Why don't you come visit us soon. I'd like to meet you in the flesh, so to speak."

The whole situation was surreal to Haley. She'd never met anyone like Brooke Davis before in her life and she couldn't help but laugh at her new friend, especially the over the top wink she sent Lucas' way which had his smirk disappearing and his eyes widening in disbelief. Even though he was a good looking guy – yes, she'd admit it to anyone but him – he'd never really garnered much attention because he was so quiet and reserved, so having this gorgeous girl coming onto him so openly was a bit of a shock.

With a flirty air kiss, Brooke danced her way past the webcam and into her room, chuckling at the reaction she'd gotten out of her roommate's best friend. Boys were too easy.

"And on that note, I think I'm gonna go."

"Yeah, good idea. I think I need a cold shower."

"Ew Luke! Too much information!"

"Sorry, Hales. But maybe I will have to come visit you sooner than I planned." His smirk and combined wink made him look adorable and she couldn't help but wonder if Brooke hadn't underestimated him. She might find herself falling for his subtle charms.

"I feel so loved, really."

"Stop pouting princess."

"Don't call me princess." Haley growled, the way she always did when he used the pet name she hated more than anything.

"I love you Hales and I'll speak to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Same time tomorrow." She reached forward to turn off the webcam before adding. "And I love you too bonehead."

She chuckled to herself knowing he'd be annoyed that she cut him off before he could tell her off for her parting remark. Her happiness at speaking with Lucas soon dimmed however as she mulled over how difficult it would be to speak to him all the time, knowing she was keeping something from him.

It killed her that she held the knowledge that Lucas had a half-brother whom he had no idea existed, and because she'd made a promise to his mother, she couldn't tell him. It had been pure coincidence that she'd found out the truth and an even bigger coincidence that she discovered this half brother would be attending Duke with her. To help ease her guilt, Haley had decided to do all she could to find out what Nathan Scott was really like, so she'd be able to help Lucas when Karen told him the truth. It was the only thing that eased her guilt and made her feel as though she was doing something good for her best friend in all of this.

She just hoped that Nathan Scott was someone she'd be happy to tell Lucas about, and not someone she'd want to keep him away from. Not that she believed anyone would ever choose to stay away from the blue eyed hunk. He oozed charm and charisma, and obviously had people hanging on his every word. Even she'd turned to mush at just the sound of his voice… God, what had she gotten herself into?


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review the first chapter of this new story. I hope you're enjoying it so far. For any of you who read Holding on to Hope, I am still definitely continuing with it, but I'm having a little block at the moment. Hopefully I'll have something for you soon.

Thank you to my girls for helping me and supporting this new story. I don't know what I'd do without you.

* * *

Haley walked into the classroom barely able to contain her excitement. This was her first class. Her first college class. She felt as though she'd been waiting her whole life for this. High school had been child's play, just going through the motions trying to make it seem like she wasn't bored out of her brains. Actually it was kind of like playing chess with her Dad and pretending to analyze every move carefully, when in reality she knew from the first move exactly how the game was going to play out. The most challenging part had always been being creative with how to lose convincingly, although she had the feeling that her Dad knew she was letting him win all along.

College was about learning new things, challenging yourself and pushing yourself to expand your horizons not only academically but socially. No longer was she just the smart girl or 'that girl who hangs around with Lucas Scott'. If she wasn't afraid to look too dorky she'd have brought a camera and asked someone to take a picture for her parents. After a quick glance she realized she was the first one there. Not a surprise really seeing as though she was at least fifteen minutes early. Brooke had spent a good half hour mocking her and her 'overachieving anal' ways that morning before she left their suite. After getting up early to pack and repack her text books and other supplies and cramming in some more reading for her first class, her room mate had admonished her for wasting her time on that 'boring crap' when it could have been better spent in the bathroom 'prettifying' herself. Haley rolled her eyes at the memory, wondering just how two such opposites had ended up living together.

Now where to sit? Some people might not think it important, but there were so many things to consider when picking a seat. Not only did she want to be in a good position to see and hear her professor clearly, but there was the social aspect to consider. Front and centre would immediately have her typecast as the class nerd… which she most probably was, she doubted there'd be anyone geekier than herself in the class, but not everyone had to know that. After a quick sweep of the room she decided on a seat about half way back and slightly left of centre. Noticing plenty of room between rows she decided to take the aisle seat figuring she could limit the risk of being stuck next to someone freaky by half. Closing her eyes, she grimaced at the thought of having to put up with someone dropping silent but deadlies, or someone with foul body odor… or God forbid, a nose picker. The image of some wiry, greasy haired slacker, in jeans that sat below his ass showing off skull and cross bone boxer shorts and a black hoodie, flicking snot at other students had her shuddering in revulsion.

A loud bang had Haley jolting upright from her slouched position, her denim clad butt stinging from landing with a thud back in her seat. She looked up at the front of the room and found a man who she assumed to be Professor Hadley, opening his briefcase. He was an attractive looking man who didn't quite fit the stereotype of your average college professor.

She'd heard Brooke singing his praises the night before as they'd gossiped about the teachers and their fellow students. Haley didn't really know much, but apparently Brooke had been coming to Duke parties since she was a high school sophomore and had made friends with quite a few of the students – much to the disgust of Becky Townsend who hated the thought of her younger cheer rival being more popular than she was. Haley mulled over the thought of what type of 'friends' her roommate had acquired at drunken college parties and giggled. Obviously the term should be used loosely. She realized now, seeing him in the flesh that the reason her room mate had been so jealous of her having Professor Hadley this semester had absolutely nothing to do with his teaching abilities and everything to do with the fact that he was, quite frankly, a hottie.

He looked up and gave her the once over, his appraisal of her appearance obvious… and to her surprise it was apparent that he liked what he saw. Feeling the blush creep up her cheeks, Haley looked away quickly, knowing she'd make a fool of herself if he spoke to her at that moment. Guys didn't check her out. She wasn't that girl. Brooke was that girl.

"Haley!"

She glanced up to find Mouth making his way over to her. She smiled widely, genuinely pleased to see him again and to her chagrin, more than a little relieved that she'd have a friend in her first class, not that she'd ever admit to anyone else that she was nervous… god, after the day she'd had yesterday she felt completely and utterly justified.

As Mouth shuffled past her knees to take the seat beside her, Haley caught the professor's eye and frowned as she noticed him almost scowling at the boy beside her. Mouth hadn't spoken to the guy or given him a single reason to warrant that obvious look of annoyance and she wondered where the hostility stemmed from.

Oblivious to his professor's scowl, Mouth grinned widely. "Excited?"

The mile wide grin and eager glimmer in his eyes told her all she needed to know. Not only had she found herself a new friend, but he might just be the one person to beat her out for class nerd. A kindred spirit, she thought to herself with a small smile. This was a great way to start off her college experience. She got into a class which was in high demand with limited spaces, had made a new friend who was also in the class with her and she had yet to have the misfortune of running into Nathan Scott again.

Lying in bed the night before, she'd been unable to get his magnificent deep blue eyes and honeyed voice out of her head, the image evoking both lustful thoughts and intensely embarrassing memories of the way they'd met. She'd read stories in magazines, humorous articles about nightmare college experiences with titles such as 'my college hell' and 'I never thought I'd be that girl', always worried in the back of her mind that that would happen to her. Well… she guessed it turned out that she was right to worry because within an hour of setting foot outside her dorm room and into the college social scene she'd managed to put a big fat 'L' next to her name forever. 'L' for loser. She'd fought for hours trying to get to sleep, only to find when she finally did that she was plagued with dreams of being Duke's social pariah, walking around with a scarlet 'L' on her clothing, a warning to her fellow students to stay away for fear of being ostracized. And then there was that screeching sound that had her dream self blocking her ears, looking for any sign of a blackboard that could possibly be being assaulted by long nails, the only obvious cause for such an atrocious noise. It was seeing the pinched features of Becky Townsend's enraged face and wide open mouth emitting the god awful screeching that finally turned a bad dream into a nightmare, Haley jolting awake to find her forehead beaded with sweat, her heart racing at a million miles an hour.

"Are you okay?" Mouth asked warily noting her sudden pallor. "You're not still worried about yesterday are you?"

Haley shook herself from her thoughts and pasted on a smile. She was not going to let one lousy day define her college experience. She'd erase it. As far as Haley James was concerned, this was her first day at Duke. A fresh start! That's what she needed. Yesterday was history and today was a new day. Today was the beginning of a great new chapter of her life. There would be no more embarrassment, no more uncomfortable awkwardness and definitely no more lusting after best friend's secret half-brothers…

"Ahh, Mr. Scott. How very nice of you to join us." Haley glanced up sharply, not only at the mention of the one person she'd hoped to be able to avoid for the next four years, but mostly at the mocking tone of voice the professor was using, her eyebrow raising in surprise. After all, she was beginning to think everyone worshipped the ground Nathan walked on. She erased the uncharitable thought from her mind. It wasn't his fault everyone loved him, and the guy wasn't even late to class evidenced by the only half full classroom and the large group of students making there way into the room behind him.

She noticed the almost imperceptible tightening of Nathan's jaw at the remark, but everything else from his body language to the way he simply ignored the barbed comment indicated it didn't bother him one bit. Her experience with school jocks had her expecting him to offer up a smirk and a sarcastic comment, an obviously insincere apology at the least, and she grudgingly admitted that his show of indifference raised her respect for him just a little. She frowned, disappointed both at the thought that she actually wanted to dislike someone, and the fact that he was making it so hard for her to do so.

"It's like Justin Timberlake just walked in. I mean, the guy can throw a ball through a hoop and suddenly he's God's gift?" Haley blew a disgusted breath out the corner of her mouth. She had no idea why she was being so mean… okay so that was a lie. She wanted to stop liking him and the best way to do that was to… dislike him? Therapy was definitely in her future, she knew it.

Mouth shot her a questioning look. Sure he didn't really know the girl, but she just didn't come across as the type to gossip or be nasty about other people… especially the guy who'd been so nice to her the day before. A couple of girls sitting directly behind them began whispering in hushed tones about how lucky they were to be in Nathan Scott's class and Haley promptly rolled her eyes.

"He's just so fine."

"Oh, I know! Hey, let's sit in the back row next time… that way we can get an uninterrupted view of his fine self."

Mouth fought back a chuckle as he noticed Haley looking more like she was fighting the urge to vomit at the other girls' fawning. A sudden smile twitched at his lips. Haley James had a thing for Duke's resident basketball star and the thought that she fit into the same category as the kowtowing lackeys behind her, made her sick… and a tad bit spiteful.

Haley shook her head in disgust. What was the point of studying hard and forking out a fortune to come to this school, or preparing yourself to drown in debt for the next 20 years, if all you were going to do was drool over the school hottie? She turned in her seat curious to know if they looked as pathetically awestruck as they sounded, but the first thing she saw was a pair of brilliant blue eyes being rolled in irritation. She'd expected him to revel in the attention, proudly absorb the hero worship, but instead he seemed almost disappointedly resigned to it.

Before she could process this new piece of information that once again conflicted with the image she'd built up of him in her mind, his gaze locked on hers and she froze, the breath caught in her throat. He offered a small smile, knowing she'd caught him and his exaggerated eye roll. She wanted to smile back, but was too busy looking for any sign that he remembered her from yesterday and felt ridiculous at the disappointment she felt when she found none, when she should be thanking the Lord that her humiliation was obviously old news. She'd rather be utterly forgettable than remembered by him as the freak that fell over at orientation… wouldn't she?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a hand tapping on her shoulder and Mouth clearing his throat softly to get her attention. It was only then that she realized that the professor had started their class. Her first class and she had already been distracted by a boy. Not a good start. With a steely determination, she pulled her notepad and pen out of her bag and focused on what Professor Hadley had to say. She had to admit that his looks weren't his only draw card, he really had a way with words that made the mundane topics of business management seem… less mundane.

"And what would you do in this situation Mr. Scott?"

All eyes darted towards the back of the room where he sat, seemingly unperturbed by being called upon to answer a question which Haley was pretty sure they shouldn't be expected to answer until next semester. She'd happily bet that she, and possibly Mouth, were the only ones who'd read that far ahead in their text books.

Haley turned, along with the rest of the class to watch him as he took a deep breath, wondering if he was showing nerves or simply bored indifference, before he looked straight at their professor and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Oh, why doesn't that surprise me?" Hadley smirked and looked pointedly at the rest of his students before pinning Nathan with a scathing glare. "Your other professors may be happy to let you slink into class late, and turn a blind eye to your lack of commitment, but I won't. If you want to pass this class, you'll have to do the work… and let's face it Mr Scott. Athleticism is where you excel… not academics."

Haley hadn't realized she'd made a sound of derision until every head turned to look at her and she heard Mouth's sharp intake of breath. Oh crap, she thought, I'm doing it again. Why can't I just fly under the radar like everyone else? Hadley's face registered surprise at first, but was quickly masked by amusement.

"Do you know the answer then Miss James?" Haley swallowed the large uncomfortable lump forming in her throat. "This isn't something that we're supposed to cover until next semester, so I don't think that anyone should be punished for not knowing the answer."

"Do. You. Know. The. Answer. Miss James?" The condescension in his voice was grating on her last nerve and even though generally a mild mannered person, Haley felt her tempter brewing.

"Well, yes, but that's not…"

"So, basically you're just smarter than the rest of the class, is that right Miss James?" She wasn't prone to violence, but Haley's overwhelming urge to slap the smirk off his face was growing with every second. She shot up out of her seat, indignant and furious. How dare he treat her like this? Or Nathan. Neither of them deserved his sarcasm or cutting comments.

"No! That's not what…"

"Enough Miss James. Take a seat. This classroom is for learning, it is not a place for girls with crushes to score points with the dumb jocks of the school."

"Hey! That's not fair. Not only is it ignorantly rude, but you don't know him to make that judgment."

"Oh, and you do I assume? Know him well do you Miss James?"

Haley's jaw dropped at what he was implying, the sexual innuendo obvious to all. She could feel her face flushing with both anger and embarrassment. The professor chuckled scornfully and leveled her with a menacing look.

"You can close your mouth now Miss James. Mr. Scott may have an interest in how wide you can open it, but I assure you, the rest of us don't."

"You pig!"

As soon as the outraged cry left her mouth, Haley wished she'd stapled her lips shut or cut out her tongue. She'd never insulted a teacher in her life. Images of the Dean calling her into his office and informing her of her expulsion swirled in her mind, followed by her inability to find a job without a college degree and her downfall to prostitution and… and nights sleeping in a cardboard box! Okay, so maybe it was a touch overdramatic… but this wasn't how her first day at Duke was supposed to be!

Over the loud pounding of her heart and the fact that she felt as though she were about to empty her breakfast on the poor students sitting in front her, Haley heard a few gasps of shock, before Nathan's deep laugh echoed through the room. Considering she may have just got herself kicked out of Duke, Haley was shocked to find her body reacting to the sexy sound once again. It was like every time Nathan Scott uttered a syllable, it pushed a button inside her that set her senses alight and lust coursing through her veins. Had she been judging all those girls who fawned over him too harshly. Did they suffer the same involuntary reactions?

"Nice to see you find this so amusing Mr Scott. Perhaps you and Miss James can discuss this further in a couple of minutes seeing as though you are no longer required in this class today… although I doubt you'll be spending your time together discussing much of anything."

Haley couldn't believe it. How was this happening to her? She reached down and grabbed her bag, placing her notepad and pen inside before sending Mouth a small smile, trying not to cry at the look of concern on his face. She could hear the girls behind her, alternately snickering at her embarrassment and cursing her for her relationship with Nathan. Well, what they, and everybody else in the class now believed, was her relationship with the College hero. Just great! Her plan had been to lay low, do well in her classes, make a few friends and graduate with honors... and do a little spying on Nathan, but that wasn't going to be easy now. Not when she managed to cause a scene whenever he was around. He may have forgotten her little accident from the day before, but this time she'd gone and got him kicked out of class. He wasn't likely to forget that any time soon!

She made her way down the aisle with as much dignity as she could muster and walked past her professor with her head held high. When she heard the door shut behind her, she realized all she wanted to do was to run, to get back to her dorm so she could have a crying fit in the privacy of her own room where no one would see her looking like a sniveling baby.

"Guess that makes us even now."

Haley spun around at the sound of his voice, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry. Part of her was actually a little flattered that he remembered her but mostly she was just mortified that he had now seen her make a fool of herself twice. And what was this crap about being even? Was he serious? She chuckled at the ridiculous conclusion.

"What? You help me up yesterday after my public humiliation… and in return I once again humiliate myself and get us both kicked out of class. Hmm… sounds like an even trade to me." She had been trying for self derision, but was afraid she might have achieved more of a scathing sarcasm that probably made her seem a little aggressive. Oh, what the hell? It's not like his opinion of her could get much worse. It's not like her day could get much worse!

She momentarily forgot her embarrassment as she watched his gorgeous mouth transform into what could only be described as a deliciously sexy smirk. It was like being hit in the solar plexus, all air rushing out of her lungs as her body once again reacted strongly to this practical stranger before her.

"Thank you Haley James." And with those parting words he turned and headed for the exit, looking as cool, calm and collected as though he hadn't just been kicked out of his first college class. He was completely unconcerned about the consequences of his… no, her actions and she was beginning to realize that he was a mystery, an enigma who would not be easy to figure out. Watching him walk away from her, Haley noted with a secret smile that one thing that most definitely was not a mystery – Nathan Scott had a great butt!

* * *

"I can't believe I'm letting you drag me to this thing! It's only been one week of classes and I've already got enough homework to keep me free of a social life for the next decade… your taking me to a party. I'm pretty sure your dad intended for me to be a good influence on you… and not have you be a bad influence on me."

Brooke slid her arm through Haley's and shook her head while making at tutting sound. "Tutorgirl, what am I going to do with you?" Stopping on the lawn outside the house where the party was being held, Brooke turned her friend to face her. "College isn't just about classes and studying… it's also a very important way to learn how to integrate socially. That's an invaluable life skill, you know?"

Haley scoffed while trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile. "No. But what I do know is that you're full of crap Davis."

"I know, but it was worth a try. Just come in and have some fun. If you're not enjoying yourself we'll leave… or you'll leave and I find a boy to amuse myself with."

Haley rolled her eyes but followed Brooke up the steps and into the house. It felt like every set of eyes turned to look at her new friend, and she could understand why. Brooke looked stunning in a pair of black skinny jeans and black heeled boots. A teasing strip of her tanned stomach was visible below the hem of her red satin corset style top which showed her ample cleavage to perfection. Looking down at her own outfit of brown cord skirt and white peasant top with matching white sandals, she couldn't help but feel like plain and dowdy. Haley frowned at the thought, hating that she felt that way when she'd always prided herself on not caring what others though of her, simply preferring to be herself.

They headed straight for the bar where Brooke ordered two shots, drinking them both when Haley refused hers opting for a beer instead.

"Oh, Brooke Davis. Nobody ordered prostitutes for this party. I think you've got the wrong address."

Haley's eyes widened as she saw Becky Townsend standing in front of her, flanked either side by two equally plastic looking bimbos, all three of them glaring at her friend.

"Becky. I think it's pretty obvious there's no need for prostitutes… I mean it is your party after all and everyone knows how willing you are to make your guests happy."

Haley couldn't hold back a giggle and regretted it instantly as the cheerleader's glare shifted to her and recognition flared in her eyes followed by disdain. "This is priceless. Please tell me that this pathetic little klutz is your friend. Has everyone realized how much of a loser you are and you've had to resort to mingling with the little people.?"

Seeing that they were starting to draw a crowd of curious onlookers, Haley rested a comforting hand on Brooke's arm, hoping she'd just let it go. She'd spent her entire high school career being basically invisible and now having to deal with everyone looking at her constantly was more than a little unsettling.

"You are so not worth my time, Becky. It really is sad that you've hated me all these years just because I'm a better cheerleader even though I'm a year younger. Oh, I suppose the fact that two of your boyfriends have tried to sleep with me doesn't help either. Well, you shouldn't have worried. I definitely wouldn't ever go anywhere near your leftovers. God knows what I'd contract." Haley held back another giggle as Brooke did an over the top shudder before winking at Haley and walking off.

The Barbie doll turned her attention and her anger back to Haley, looking her over contemptuously. "What are you even doing here? You have to realize that after yesterday everyone thinks you're a loser."

"What is your problem?"

"You, you're my problem. You don't belong here. You're socially retarded, you ruined my orientation set up… and then you played the pathetic damsel in distress to get Nathan Scott to help you. So why don't you take my advice Little Miss Wannabe… and just leave. Nobody wants you here."

Haley scoffed at the nerve of this girl. Who the hell did she think she was talking to other people that way? "Is that what this is about? Some boy you like happened to notice me falling flat on my ass and was nice enough to help me up, and now I'm public enemy number one? Get over it!"

Becky looked as if she'd been slapped. The crowd around then was whispering and snickering, completely enthralled by this tiny little spitfire standing up to the Queen Bee.

"And I've got some advice for you too. People fearing you and people respecting you are two completely different things. Keep going the way you are and you'll have even less friends than you think I have."

Haley began to turn, knowing she needed to walk away from the scene before it got any more heated, when she bumped into someone who'd been standing by pretending not to listen to the fight. She could feel her boots slipping on the hardwood flooring and before she knew it she was falling backwards, her cup of beer flying through the air. Please don't land on me. Please don't land on me. She chanted it over in her head, pretty sure she could deal with the embarrassment of falling over in public again, but not wanting to have to trudge home drenched in cheap keg beer.

Suddenly she felt a hard body behind her stopping her fall and sighed with relief. It only lasted a couple of seconds before she heard screeching that was more like a wounded hyena, and the question of what happened to her beer was answered. She wanted to wish herself away, do anything but open her eyes and deal with the laughter and the stares that were inevitably going to follow.

She hadn't realized how long she'd been in her little world of denial until the person holding her up cleared their throat and she felt her face flush a rosy pink. Oh God… she'd been practically lying in this poor guys arms. Quickly steadying her feet, she pulled away and turned around with an apologetic smile.

"Thank you so much for catching me. I don't think my butt could handle another fall this we…"

She stopped short when she took in the guy before her. His black street shoes, dark well fitting jeans, red polo shirt, bright blue eyes… holy crap. Nathan Scott. Not again! That's all she could think, well besides trying to steady her breath after the quite obvious appraisal she'd just carried out on him with about fifty other students watching. Why was this happening to her?

"No problem. But it looks like you owe me again." He smirked and cocked his head to the side for a moment before looking back into her eyes mischievously. "And you're butt looks fine to me."

Haley's jaw dropped a little at the flirtatious comment. Sure, it was probably his way and he flirted with anything with breasts, but it didn't diminish the effect it had on her. It didn't help when there were a couple of 'hell yeahs' and murmurs of agreement from random guys at the party.

She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. It was like the mortification had paralyzed her this time around. She wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to speak or just staring because she was obviously acting like the social retard Becky had told her she was. He smiled and shook his head in amusement.

"I'll see you 'round, Haley James."

She watched him walk away for a few moments before her limbs seemed to function again and she raced to the nearest bathroom, splashing her face with cool water, hoping it would help with the heat. What was it about Nathan Scott that had her acting like such a… girl?

A couple of hours later, Haley found herself standing against a wall and surveying, trying to avoid the curious glances from those who had witnessed her earlier flip out, Haley contemplated giving up her search for her room mate and simply heading home alone. She was about to head for the door when she heard the Barbie doll's grating voice behind her.

"Don't think this is over. I'm going to make your life a living hell you little bitch." After sending Haley a menacing glare, she quickly turned to the blonde minion standing next to her and looking as though she were trying to hide a small smile. Upon closer inspection Haley could see a glimmer of respect in the girls eyes and it made her feel marginally better.

"Nathan's waiting for me out back. Can you tell him just to come meet me in my room in fifteen minutes." Although speaking her friend, Becky was looking straight at Haley, sending her the non-too-subtle message that Nathan was taken.

Even though she felt a strange and unwanted jealousy building up within her, Haley refused to show any sign of it and she knew it pissed the cheerleader off to no end. Haley supposed she should feel flattered that Becky considered her competition even if only in the smallest sense, but the her most overwhelming feeling was disappointment; disappointment that Nathan was actually shallow enough to be interested in such a vapid skank who was obviously only interested in him for his popularity and good looks. Then it occurred to her that maybe she was being naïve and 'interest' was giving him too much credit. Nathan Scott probably wasn't interested in anything Becky Townsend had to offer besides an easy lay.

"Haley! Haley!"

Brooke was running over to her with a look of elation on her face that had her own lips turning upwards. She heard Becky huff behind her, annoyed that Haley had effectively dismissed her without any reaction to her taunting. Brooke gave Becky a pointed glare and waited to speak until the other girl had left them alone.

"Is it true?"

"Um… that depends. If you're asking if just I had a threesome with two guys from the chess club… then yes. It's completely true."

Brooke laughed and poked her tongue out playfully. "I knew it! You're just a slut disguised a tutor!"

"Yep, that's me. Slut extraordinaire."

"Ok, enough joking. Is it true that you got into a fight with Becky and poured beer over her head?"

"What? No! Well, sort of… but not really. I mean it's not like I did it on purpose."

Brooke chuckled and clapped her hands like a child on Christmas morning surveying their presents under the tree; inordinately pleased by the news of Becky's drenching and Haley's part in it. "It doesn't matter if you meant it or not Tutorgirl. The important thing is that Becky got her comeuppance and you just cemented yourself as someone to be reckoned with. No more fading into the background for you honey, you're playing in the big leagues now."

Haley didn't want to think about Brooke's comments and the possible truth behind them. Deciding to deal with it later, she pushed the thoughts aside.

"Comeuppance?" Haley smirked teasingly.

"What? I dated a British guy last month… well dated might be not be the right term."

Haley nudged her shoulder playfully and smirked. "I assume 'slept with' is what you were looking for."

"Smart ass!" Her mock pout quickly fading as she collapsed into a fit of alcohol induced giggles. "Daddy did good. You're the best room mate ever. I love you already."

Taking Brooke's hand, Haley started walking towards the door figuring it was probably time for them to leave before her friend got wasted and did something she'd either regret or wouldn't even remember.

"We're leaving?"

"Uh-huh… and if you think you love me now, you're gonna love me even more tomorrow when you wake up in your own bed with some pain killers and a glass of water on the night stand, rather than some random guys stinky dorm room searching for your clothes."

Surprisingly Brooke simply nodded her head then placed it on Haley's shoulder and dropped her hand before linking their arms. Just as they reached the door Haley felt a pair of eyes burning into her back and twisted her head to find Nathan watching her as he moved through the room. She was about to smile at him until she realized with disenchantment he was about to walk up the stairs. She didn't need to guess where he was headed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Little White Lies 

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for all the great reviews so far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story as much I am writing it. I know I still haven't completed an update for my other fic, but I'm still having some issues with writer's block for that one. I'm hoping it won't be too far away.

Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby), Elena (Typokween) and Bec (pinkythesupergirl) for all of your comments and suggestions with this update.

* * *

"Oh My God. I so wish more girls on the squad had moves like yours. I know it would never happen, but if I had anything to do with it, you'd totally be in."

Brooke's eyes sparkled wistfully as she released a sigh. She was so used to getting anything she wanted and knowing that this particular booty shaker would not be joining the squad was not only such a waste of talent, it was frustratingly something she had no control over. Becky was in charge this year and there was no way she'd approve.

"Really? You think I'm that good?"

"Definitely. I'm so glad we met. We're gonna be the bestest of friends."

"Honestly, I was kinda intimidated by you at first. I mean you're like this beautiful cheerleader and I'm sort of a geek." A quick appraisal was given to Brooke's outfit, a pair of tiny rainbow striped boy shorts and a matching pink singlet. She was the epitome of every high school boy's fantasy of a slumber party attendee. All that was needed was a good pillow fight with some flowing hair and jiggling boobs… yep, definitely a fantasy.

"You are not a geek! You're awesome and totally cute. I swear if I didn't think it'd ruin our friendship… I'd kinda want to drag you into my room and have my way with you."

"Really? Cool. Brooke Davis wants to jump my bones."

Haley held back a giggle at the wide eyed, awestruck look on Mouth's face and rolled her eyes pretending to stick her fingers down her throat. "Oh God… would you two just do it or shut up already. This mutual appreciation society is gonna make me puke."

Brooke's idea to have a girl's night in… and also invite Mouth along had been a great idea and it was just the thing to take her mind off all the crap that had been getting her down. The fact that Brooke and Mouth had bonded over their love of dancing and classic '80's movies was something she hadn't expected, although she wouldn't deny that watching Mouth bust a move to some peppy cheer music was definitely the highlight of her evening so far.

Brooke gasped in mock indignation and threw her arm around Mouth's shoulders, stumbling slightly, her drunkenness slowly becoming clearer.

"Oh shut up Tutorgirl. You're just jealous of our awesomenessness."

"Awesomenessness?"

The playful glare Brooke sent towards her roommate warned she'd better shut up or else. "And the only thing that's gonna make you puke is all the vodka and orange you've been chugging down. Jesus, you drink like a fish!"

Mouth laughed at the girls flinging insults at each other even though they both knew they didn't mean a word of it.

Haley stood up and pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. "Well I think I deserve to! My first month of college has been a total disaster and then this week I find out part of my scholarship fell through. Now I have to get a job on top of all the study and tutoring I'm already doing."

… and I'm getting no closer to finding out any more information about my best friend's secret half-brother… whom I don't find at all attractive and don't have erotic dreams about, she thought to herself sarcastically. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of him. She'd barely seen Nathan since she'd locked gazes with him at the party almost a month ago. Despite feeling a strange longing to see him again, she was mostly relieved at their lack of contact. Not only had she managed to avoid any more embarrassing scenes – which she was now chalking up to being Nathan's fault; he seemed to have that effect on her - She really did not want to analyze that small stabbing sensation she felt in her heart as she'd watched him walk up those stairs, inevitably on his way for a romp in the sack with Cheerleader Barbie.

"No worries. I know people."

Startled back to reality, Haley raised an eyebrow. "You know people?"

"Yeah. I can get you a job with just one phone call."

Haley looked at her overexcited friend doubtfully. It had become glaringly obvious to her over the past month that her roommate had never had to work for anything in her life, so just how was she going to land her a job? Haley's only experience had been waitressing and she was pretty sure Brooke didn't even frequent a café, let alone know anyone who could get her a job in one.

"You realize I've only got waitressing experience. I'd be no good in one of those fancy shmancy boutiques you shop at. Brooke raised her eyebrows before laughing hysterically, Mouth promptly joining in.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"Haley, I hate to tell you this honey. But you can barely style your own wardrobe… there's no way I'd be recommending you for a job to style someone else's."

Haley removed her arms from across her chest and placed her hands on her fleecy pajama clad hips, her pout unwavering - although the 'moo cow' pattern of her pants and her matching cow slippers kind of took away from the intimidating look she was going for. Sure, she didn't exactly have the most chic clothing, but it was comfortable and kind of grungy. She liked it. So, maybe she had fun when Brooke dressed her up occasionally, but that didn't mean she had to change everything about her style.

Flipping open her cell phone, Brooke punched in some numbers and waited for an answer. "Carlos? Hey it's Brooke." She walked back over to her previous position on the sofa and fell back down onto the soft cushions. "I need a favor. Do you have any jobs going?"

Haley felt her hopes rise as Brooke smiled widely. "No not that. Waitressing or bar work. That's all she's qualified for." After a few more murmurs of agreement Brooke snickered. "Of course she's not twenty one, but it never made a difference to you before. She's a smart girl, practically a genius… and she's cute. It won't take her long to master the intricate arts of serving and pouring drinks."

After a long pause Brooke squealed excitedly and thanked Carlos profusely before hanging up. "You, my friend, are now gainfully employed."

"Oh My God! Brooke! I love you. This is so great. What's the job? Where will I be working?" The girls threw their arms around each other and jumped up and down like kids on a trampoline, the image getting more and more like that slumber party fantasy to Mouth who couldn't help but appreciate the sight of two beautiful girls dancing around in their sleepwear.

"Ok, so you'll start off as a waitress but in no time I'm sure you'll make it to bar work." Brooke winked at her knowingly. "Better tips."

Haley felt a tingle of apprehension. She had been thinking more along the lines of another café, not a bar, and she couldn't help but balk at the idea of breaking the law and serving alcohol as a minor. Although she supposed the hours were probably more suitable seeing as though she had classes during the day and tutoring after that. Nights would be easier to work into her schedule. Shrugging to herself, Haley decided she'd take the job. The old Haley would never have agreed to work in a bar she wasn't legally supposed to be allowed entry into, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Life was definitely not playing fair at the moment, so she was going to break some rules herself.

"So… the bar?"

"Oh right. It's this great little place not far from here. It's called Polly's and Carlos is a great guy. You'll love it… not to mention that their customers are mostly hot college guys." Brooke smiled wistfully. "Maybe I should get myself a job?"

Haley laughed at the outrageous suggestion before Brooke silenced her with a glare, although it wasn't long before a smile reached her lips as Haley elbowed her playfully.

"Oh, c'mon. It'd never happen and you know it. You're just not cut out for the whole service industry thing."

Smirking at Mouth wickedly before wiggling her eyebrows, Brooke retorted "I don't know Tutorgirl. A few guys around campus might disagree with you there."

Mouth spat out his mouthful of beer at the comment, not quite used to Brooke's blatant sexual innuendo. "Jesus, Brooke! You're gonna give him a coronary" Her friend laughed, before bouncing onto the couch next to him as he mopped up his spilt beer with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh, I will not!" Turning to him she smiled "You knows it's all just a bit of fun, don't you?" she asked confidently. Mouth nodded his head while getting control of his cough. Haley noticed Brooke smiling at her with a look of satisfaction, completely unaware of how strongly her innocent actions were affecting the poor guy. She was now patting his thigh softly, her hand dangerously close to the fly of his pants, and although her touch was meant in the way a mother would reassure a child, the way he sat ramrod straight, a startled look in his eyes, Haley could tell that his body's reaction was anything but childish.

Haley shook her head and chuckled, murmuring to herself "She keeps up that touching and it's not the only thing she'll give him."

"What was that?"

Haley stopped, frozen for a moment before turning with a saccharine smile. "I said good night. I have my first tutoring session tomorrow with a new student and I want to be on my game."

"Why? You're like the best tutor they have. What makes you worried about this session?"

"Well he was specifically assigned to me. Apparently he's an athlete and he needs to keep his grades up to keep his athletic scholarship, which may not be the easiest task."

Brooke nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, I see. Typical dumb jock."

"No! I'm not saying that at all. It's just that jock… _athletes_ seem to be the hardest to motivate because they have to put so much of their energy into their sports, that school work comes a distant second."

"Or third… or fourth, after parties and sex." Brooke mused, sounding like she knew the type well.

"Don't stereotype. All sorts of people need tutoring for lots of different reasons."

"Yeah, like they're dumb."

"Brooke! He's probably perfectly capable of understanding his work; he just has trouble focusing or something. It's a common problem."

"Whatever Tutorgirl. Twenty bucks says your new student is some meathead, no-neck wrestler who can't string more than a few words together and his coach is so determined to keep him here on scholarship that when the dumbass fails his first few tests, he'll pay you to take them for him and keep your mouth shut about it."

Haley rolled her eyes in exasperation. Sometimes there was no reasoning with the girl. "I give up. And no, I'm not betting on that."

"Fine! I'll up it to fifty dollars that not only is he your stereotypical dumbass jock, but he also tries to get a look down your top."

At this statement Mouth began to giggle like a girl before hiccupping, a sure sign that he too was getting way beyond tipsy. She'd never been much of a drinker herself, but she'd have no trouble putting a bet on the fact that Mouth had never gotten drunk before in his life. "I'll up it to one hundred bucks! I bet that after he ogles her boobies, Haley knees him in the balls."

Scoffing at her friends who were now rolling around on the floor in a fit of giggles, Haley said good night and went to her room, huffing about immature drunks and lowering standards in Duke's admittance criteria.

A few minutes later as Brooke and Mouth sat on the floor, their backs against the sofa and their hands holding their now aching stomachs, Mouth turned to his new friend with a confused look on his face. "Hey, isn't Polly's a strip club?"

* * *

Haley tugged at the material scratching her neck, all the while reconsidering her decision to wear a turtleneck when she'd already discovered over the previous month that the tutoring centre was often kept at a much too stifling temperature. It was all Brooke's fault! She'd gotten her so wound up about this new student that she'd gone overboard in her attempt to reject any possible unwanted attention from the supposed 'meathead' she'd be tutoring. She could feel the skin on her neck getting warmer and no doubt it was turning red. She tried pulling at the neck of the sweater again, cursing that while the actual top was baggy, shapeless and generally unappealing, the neck was so unbelievably tight that she felt like she was being strangled.

Hearing the door open Haley took a deep breath before looking up to see who had entered the room, and having fully convinced herself that Brooke had been right, she was stunned to find that her new student was most definitely not a stocky, no-neck meathead. Instead he was tall, toned and imposing without being bulky, not to mention devastatingly handsome… and of course, with Haley feeling at possibly her most unattractive… it had to be Nathan Scott. She looked heavenwards silently screaming 'Can I never once be the slight bit cool in his presence?!'

"Haley James. We meet again."

Haley made her best attempt at playing it cool, even though the fact that he seemed so pleased to see her made her insides melt. "Hey Nathan. How are you?"

"Much better now that I know you're my new tutor."

She flushed at the compliment before she remembered how thoroughly she'd dressed down for this session. She knew she looked frumpy. Brooke had told her so as she'd left the apartment. Actually her exact words had been 'you look like a middle aged spinster who hasn't been laid in so long she's grown a new hymen'. Boy, did that girl ever have a way with words!

The brunette fiddled with her books; rearranging them while trying to avoid eye contact with him for fear that he'd see how uncomfortable she was. How could she not be? Duke's star basketball player and most gorgeous guy on campus was taking a seat across from her and she was dressed like a homeless person whose clothes were too big… well mostly too big, she thought as she tugged at her neck again. Maybe it would be better if the thing strangled her, at least that way he'd be too busy feeling sorry that she died to take notice of how bad she looked doing it.

Sending a few surreptitious glances his way, Haley saw him remove his jacket to reveal a snug fitting polo shirt in just the right blue to make his eyes sparkle. When he moved she could see the defined muscles of his pecs and six pack and felt her mouth go dry.

"Aren't you hot in that top? It's really warm in here."

Haley gave him a tight smile and quickly removed the hand that was pulling at the sweater. "No. I'm fine."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"So…"

"Oh, right. Well during the first session I usually go over which subjects you need my help with and take a look at your class schedule so we can figure out the best times for our sessions." Thankful to be back on track and in tutor mode, Haley relaxed and began discussing with Nathan everything she needed to know to set up the best tutoring plan for him. Once they had that sorted she gave him a few problems to work through from the class that he seemed to be having the most trouble with.

She watched him as he struggled with part of it and realized that although he needed help, he was hesitant to ask for it. This was usually the case with students who were sent to tutoring rather than seeking it out themselves. They were worried that people would perceive them as stupid and tried to muddle their way through without being noticed and that was usually what got them to the point of needing help in the first place.

She was a pro at this by now and knew exactly how to offer assistance while making them feel comfortable. After explaining a new method to Nathan he finished the problem quickly and looked up at her with mixture of appreciation and respect that had her blushing slightly.

"Thanks Haley. I never would have thought to do it that way. I'm not really good at this stuff." He shrugged his shoulders before adding. "Guess it goes with the 'dumb jock' territory."

Haley frowned, remembering the way Professor Hadley had put him down in class implying the very same thing. It was obvious from her short time with him this afternoon that he was anything but stupid. It was a classic case of being more invested in his sport than his studies and also the fact that in the past his teachers had probably turned a blind eye, letting their star playing get away with bad grades as long as he was winning games. It infuriated her! She didn't give a damn about the favoritism aspect, it was the fact that they were selling him short; encouraging him to believe that he was only useful on the court and that academics didn't matter.

"Don't sell yourself short Nathan. You've got a lot of pressure on you; more than I can imagine and I'm sure that a lot of the time schoolwork has to get pushed down on your priority list. And that's why you've got me… to kick your butt into gear."

Even though he shrugged the comment off, she could see that he appreciated the understanding.

"Besides, I've seen Coach K and he can be scary! I'd be putting basketball first too if it meant avoiding his wrath!"

Nathan looked up and laughed at her exaggerated shudder. "Yeah, he can be pretty hardcore."

She joined in and was glad to find the tension clearing once again.

Haley felt a small bead of sweat make it's way down her brow and wiped and wiped it away before fanning her face. The room was getting warmer and warmer by the minute and she felt like she was in an oven, but unfortunately while strategically planning her outfit for giving off 'I'm not interested' vibes, she hadn't been smart enough to plan for the possibility of needing to take the sweater off.

"C'mon Haley! It's stinking hot in here and I need you to tutor me, not pass out at the table. Just take the damn sweater off. There's no way you're comfortable."

Haley reluctantly removed the stifling garment, her skin tingling with relief at the coolness of the air. Her relief only lasted a moment though, before self-consciousness won out again and she struggled to act aloof over the fact that she was wearing something skimpier than she usually wore to bed. The thin singlet with spaghetti straps rode high on her waist, exposing the soft skin of her midriff and was so low cut that even a blind man could see her cleavage. Maybe if she sat up ramrod straight, and avoided her usual study slouch she could prevent herself from giving Nathan a free show. Not that he would be able to avoid noticing her nipples standing erect at the sudden change in temperature. Haley cursed her outfit and the decision not to wear a bra with the skimpy singlet.

After a few minutes of imagining Nathan staring at her breasts which felt as though they might pop out to say hello any second, Haley gave in and sneaked a look at him. He had his head down, concentrating on his text book. She looked away, frowning, wondering why an eighteen year old college boy would be studying rather than focusing on a set of boobs. Maybe she just hadn't caught him in the act. Taking another look she found him still studying and realized that he wasn't paying attention to her puppies at all. Haley knew she should be relieved… after all her main worry about this session had been deterring the ogling of her new student… but damn it, she wanted him to show at least some interest. They were right there screaming out for attention for Christ sake!

It was stupid and immature and completely irrational but she had to see if he had noticed at all. Maybe he wasn't staring because he hadn't been looking as her sweater came off? She'd just have to get his attention. Oh God, she thought, it's like she was channeling Brooke!

"Do your practices always run this late? It's pretty dark already." She normally didn't say much during a tutoring session, especially if it meant breaking a student's concentration when working a problem, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He shook his head and murmured something about Coach K and a pissy mood, but still never looked up from his book.

"Oh, well I guess it would suck if they always ran so late, huh?"

Nathan nodded his head still not looking up until she cleared her throat, trying for subtlety but not really achieving it… not that it was a surprise. Her dad always said she was as subtle as a nun in a gay pride parade. After a few moments Nathan looked up and snickered, a smirk gracing his face before he put his head down again and continued working on the problem she'd assigned him.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Well, we'd never have to worry about it being too dark around here tonight. Not with those headlights you got going on over there."

Haley gasped in shock, her arms quickly moving to cross over her chest. She could not believe he'd said that. Sure, it was obvious to both of them that she wasn't wearing a bra, and technically she was trying to get him to acknowledge her breasts, but she hadn't been expecting such a blunt comment. He was such a… a… guy!

Ignoring the comment seemed like the best thing to do so she buried her head in a book and hoped her face would stop looking like a tomato sometime soon, all the while inwardly pleased he'd taken notice.

"I know we haven't finalized your tutoring schedule yet, but I should let you know that I won't be free tomorrow. Any other night this week is fine though"

Nathan nodded his head and she smiled, relieved that she'd have the afternoon to relax and get herself ready. Starting a new job was like starting a new year of school; it was both exciting and scary, but she believed with some relaxation and preparation there was no way you could go wrong.

"Why, got a hot date?"

He was teasing her, but even though he came across as playful she discerned an odd edge to his voice. Perhaps he didn't like the thought of her putting her social life ahead of his studies. Well she'd seen his schedule and list of upcoming assignments, and there was definitely nothing pressing enough to warrant him needing an urgent study session tomorrow, so it didn't really make any sense. Deciding she was probably just imagining things Haley decided to forget it.

"Starting a new job actually."

"A job?"

Haley chuckled. Even if she hadn't heard it from the gossip mill of Duke University, she could tell just by looking at him that he'd never wanted for anything in his life and having to work for money was just a foreign concept that he could push to the back of his mind until forced upon him after leaving college and going into the real world. Although if the rumors were true, he'd probably never have a regular nine to five like most people, he'd be earning the big bucks in the NBA.

"Yeah. You know, I show up, do what the boss tells me to do and each week I get a pay check… ring any bells?"

Nathan pouted and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Alright, you've made your point. I'm a spoilt rich kid who's never had to work a day in his life."

Although he looked serious, Haley could see a glimmer of amusement in his eyes and knew it was all an act. "Well am I wrong?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, you're right. It's just most people don't call me on it."

"Well I'm not most people." She retorted playfully

"No" he mused giving her a penetrating stare "You're definitely not."

The way he was looking at her sent a shiver down her spine, but rather than analyze it she quickly put it down to the fact that while being basically topless had been a necessity a little earlier in their session, since night had fallen the air now had a definite chill. At that moment she desperately wanted to grab the sweater and cover herself up, but knew that it would be obvious to Nathan that she was trying to hide her 'headlights' and she refused to seem anything less than a secure, sophisticated student who was _not _shy and insecure about showing a little skin in front of really hot basketball players.

She was brought out of her reverie when he waved a hand in front of her face, obviously having been trying to get her attention.

"Sorry, what?"

"I was just wondering why you're working when you already have classes and tutoring. You get paid to tutor right?"

Her face fell for a moment thinking of how part of her scholarship had fallen through at the last moment. She'd been so relieved to get a combination of scholarships which would allow her to not only attend Duke, her first choice of college, but also meant that she wouldn't have to work and instead would have plenty of time to simply focus on her studies., so when she'd been called into the financial aid office and told that there had been a problem, she'd been so disappointed that she'd wanted to cry.

"Yeah, I do get paid for the tutoring, but there were scholarship issues which mean I have to work or drop out… so I'm obviously going to work."

She noticed Nathan's brow furrow and she could imagine him trying to grasp the concept of possibly having to leave college because you can't afford it. It was easy to see that in his circles, college was a given, not a privilege.

"But how can that happen? How can they do that? Offer you a scholarship and then take it away? That doesn't seem fair."

She smiled at the conviction in his voice. At least some of her earlier impressions of him being selfish and only caring about himself were being dispelled. She was oddly pleased to know he had more character than she'd originally given him credit for.

"Apparently the means test they did on my parents wasn't calculated correctly and they earn just a little too much for me to qualify for the scholarship. I tried to explain that being the youngest of six kids, means my parents have already had to fork out a fortune in college tuitions and there just isn't enough to cover mine, but unfortunately it doesn't matter." She smiled, pulling herself out of the dreary mood her thoughts were taking her in. "It doesn't matter. I've found a job and apparently it pays well so I won't have to work too many hours. It could be a lot worse. I'm still in school and that's all that matters."

"Well I'm glad it's working out for you."

"Thanks." She almost swooned at the sincere smile he sent her way. So often she would see that cocky, yet irresistibly sexy smirk on his face, but she had quickly discovered that nothing sent her heart racing as fast as a genuine smile. She figured it had something to do with the light that shone from his amazing cobalt eyes.

"So where is this new job?"

"It's at this little place called Polly's."

She watched as he studied her carefully and wondered why he seemed so… reticent. The place was supposed to be popular with Duke students, especially the male ones according to Brooke who had already told her that Nathan had been hanging out with Duke students for a couple of years, so surely he'd heard of the place.

"Do you know it?"

She frowned as he nodded his head confirming he had heard of Polly's, but still remained mute, seemingly unable or unwilling to comment. He cleared his throat and then leaned forward on the table looking at her inquiringly. "And what kind of work will you be doing?"

"Oh, well I'm starting off as a waitress then hopefully moving behind the bar, but I'm kind of more excited by the possibility I'll get to perform. My roommate got me the job and she knows the owner. We were talking this morning and she mentioned that they have regular talent nights which are pretty popular with the college crowd, and she thinks the boss might let me have a go on stage. I'm really excited about it."

Concluding her excited chatter, Haley noticed that Nathan was still acting weirdly and couldn't help but think he seemed a little skeptical. The guy may be able to turn her on with a single look… well less than that really, but she did not appreciate his assumption that she would not be good enough to perform at Polly's. She'd always been reserved about her singing and songwriting abilities, rarely letting even Lucas hear her music, but before leaving for college she'd made a promise to be bolder and take more chances so this was definitely one dream she was going to follow. Nathan Scott and his skepticism be damned!

"You may not believe it, but I'm damn good at what I do! I may seem like some tiny little shrinking violet, but I can belt it out like nobodies business! You should see what I can do with a guitar."

"Okay, Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that you couldn't do it. I was just… surprised is all." He smiled and touched her hand gently, sending tingles up her arm and her heart into a flutter. "I bet you'll be great."

Appeased, Haley smiled, feeling triumphant and suitably convinced that he now had at least a scrap of faith in her... she'd just have to prove it to him.

"Maybe you can come in and see me sometime? I'll try to give you a discount. Have you been there before?"

Once again he looked startled; slightly hesitant, and she wondered what was going on with him. Every time they'd met he'd been completely laidback, in control and getting her out of sticky situations… but now it almost seemed like she'd sent him off kilter. Maybe it was just her imagination, she thought to herself and decided to try and lighten the conversation again. It felt as if they were sort of friends now and she liked that feeling, the last thing she'd want is for things to be weird. For starters, it would make tutoring really uncomfortable… and then there was the fact that now she could get to know him, which had been her intent all along. Only now she could avoid the sneaking around, dark glasses and inevitable humiliating moments avoiding his detection.

Remembering how she was lying to her best friend and now to Nathan left her feeling guilty as hell, so she quickly pushed the feeling aside.

"Well, I've finished this problem." Nathan offered, sliding the sheet of paper across to her. She realized he too was trying to lighten the atmosphere with a distraction.

After checking through it, Haley smiled widely and handed it back to him. "This is really great Nathan. You've got that formula down now. There's no reason why you can't pass this test with flying colors."

"I wouldn't go that far, but I'm feeling more confident now." He chuckled with self-depreciation, but she could see in his eyes that he was pleased by her words.

"Well I'll make you a deal."

"And what deal would that be Haley James. A reward of some sort?" He smirked suggestively, leaning forward again and looking into her eyes. If she didn't know his reputation with girls so well, she might have looked into this flirting more seriously.

She watched him take a sip of water, a droplet rolling over his lip and down his chin and she had to suppress a groan. The boy was S.E.X. She'd never felt the urge to jump someone before, but God damn it the thought of throwing herself at Nathan was very appealing right now. Without even meaning too her voice took on a husky tone and she smiled at him invitingly, her whole demeanor mirroring his.

"Yeah. If you get an eighty or higher on that test I'll give you a private performance, something a little more intimate than what I'd do at the bar."

She was soon jolted out of her uncharacteristic sex kitten act when Nathan's eyes widened in shock and the water he'd just sipped flew out of his mouth, soon followed by a nasty coughing fit. Oh God, she realized she'd been a bit flirtatious in her response and offer to perform a song for him, but surely she hadn't come across so strong that he nearly choked himself to death. She felt her cheeks flaming once more and wished she could take the comment back. Jesus! It was like she'd been channeling Brooke again. Damn it, maybe she was spending too much time with the girl.

Seeing Nathan still struggling to catch his breath, she quickly forgot her embarrassment and jumped out of her chair, moving behind him to pat his back forcefully.

"Are you okay?"

He was still wheezing slightly and she stood in front him, her hands on his shoulders telling him to breath deeply. It wasn't until he looked up at her and then back down, his eyes level with her breasts that she realized just how close she was, standign in between his parted legs, his face only a couple of inches from her 'headlights'.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Guess it went down the wrong way."

When he managed to respond without once looking away from her breasts, she figured he was going to live and quickly went back to her seat and started packing up her books, anything to occupy herself so that she didn't have to look at him and the smirk she knew was being sent her way. Why did she have to be so damn transparent? The way she was going she may as well have the word 'embarrassed' tattooed on her forehead. It seemed to be the reigning emotion of her life at the moment.

As they stood up from the table, Nathan placed his hand on her arm and rubbed it softly. Her gaze flew to his face but it seemed like it was an unconscious action on his part, she definitely couldn't see any sign that he realized what he was doing… nor, thank God, the havoc it was playing on her senses.

"Thanks Haley. For everything."

"Your welcome. And you're gonna do great on that test."

He smirked and responded. "Well I've got one hell of an incentive, don't I?"

She waved goodbye as he left the room and couldn't help thinking with satisfaction that he'd definitely changed his tune. He seemed to be a lot more enthusiastic about seeing her perform now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. Your support has been fantastic. I know it's been a little bit of a wait for this update, but I hope you think it's worth it. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) and Elena (Typokween) for all of your comments and suggestions with this update.

If you haven't already done so I recommend checking out Dawn's 'Confessions of a Frustrated Perfectionist' and 'Reflections of Things That Never Were', as well as Elena's 'Every You, Every Me'. They are both amazingly talented writers.

* * *

Haley's eyes swept over the stage, the rich deep red velvet curtains as a backdrop making it look decadent and sensuous, something she hadn't been expecting, and then took in all of the tables and chairs facing the stage, her smile widening as she realized that Polly's must have more of a music focus than Brooke had let on. It definitely seemed to be focused on live entertainment rather than the usual DJ set up of most clubs. 

"So do you think you can handle that for tonight?"

Haley smiled and nodded her head at her new boss. Carlos seemed nice enough even if at first glance he'd come across as a sleazy porn star. His thick black hair was long and pulled into a ponytail and he wore a hideous lime green suit with a purple shirt and black crocodile skin pointed shoes; it was like the '70's threw up on him. She still couldn't quite fathom how Brooke would possibly know this guy.

"Right, well Candi here will answer any more questions you have. Good luck tonight kid."

"Thanks Carlos."

"He seems nice." Haley said, smiling at the gorgeous blonde before her. At first she'd thought the girl to be in her mid-twenties, but realized it was just the makeup she wore that aged her. She was actually only nineteen and after talking to her for a while, Haley decided she was possibly one of the sweetest people she'd ever met.

"Yeah, he is. Definitely the best boss I've ever had. He knows how to keep it professional."

Haley nodded even though she couldn't help wondering what kind of jobs this girl had had if her bosses were frequently getting too personal with her. But then again, with a face and body to die for… and a name like 'Candi', it wasn't too much of a stretch to imagine a guy thinking he could get a bit too friendly with her. She wondered why a girl who was so beautiful and - if she could judge by their brief conversations - intelligent as well, would try to look so… cheap. Perhaps it got her better tips and she wondered if she would ever consider looking so provocative to earn a few extra dollars.

Haley frowned down at the outfit she had chosen, remembering how daring she thought she would be by wearing her tightest pair of jeans and a halter top, that while racy for her, still managed to cover her modestly, and realized that compared to what she'd seen Candi and a couple of the other staff wearing, she may as well have been covered head to toe in a flannelette nightgown. Her skin to clothing ration appeared to by way off by Polly's standards.

"Now Joe will be serving behind the bar tonight and you'll just be taking orders to the tables. I wish I could stay and help you settle in on your first night but I have to perform."

"Sure. It must be so exciting. I can't wait until I can get up there and perform one day."

Candi looked at her strangely. "You? You want to perform?"

Haley felt her mood deflate. Here was another person who immediately doubted her ability. Why did everyone look at her and instantly think she didn't have what it took to be a great musician?

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?" Her voice was a little edgier than she'd like. The last thing she wanted to do was get off on the wrong foot with her new co-workers.

"Oh no, please don't take it the wrong way, it's just you don't really look the type."

"I see." Haley sighed, feeling defeated. It was bad enough just your average person thinking it, but when it came from a fellow musician who obviously had some experience… well it was disheartening.

"Hey, don't be upset. You are a beautiful girl Haley and I can tell that you can do anything you set your mind to. If it's what you really want then I say go for it. I'll help you in any way I can."

Haley smiled and accepted the hug that was offered. Yep, definitely one of the sweetest people she'd ever met.

Pulling away the blonde smiled warmly at her and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I have to go get changed before the show starts, but I'll catch up with you later okay?"

"Okay, thanks Candi." Haley smiled, but then furrowed her brow wondering what on earth the other girl was planning on wearing if her already too short skirt and skimpy midriff baring top weren't provocative enough for the college boys the venue supposedly attracted. Damn, she was beginning to think she really was way too over dressed… and not at all cut out for this job.

"So anyway, I said to her 'I am the best damn sports writer you'll ever meet and if you don't put me on your staff…it's your loss.'"

Brooke walked out of the bathroom in yet another outfit and giggled at the little head wobble Mouth enacted while doing his best 'Miss Thing' move as he explained how he stood up to one of the other students at the college paper.

"Good for you Mouth!" she did a quick twirl for him and posed with her hands on her hips. "What do you think of this one?"

"Hmm… I'm a guy, so I love it. But it depends on what kind of date it's going to be. Is it an 'I like this guy and think there could be something special there' date… or is it an 'I like this guy and I want him to take me home for the night' date?"

Brooke focused on thoughts of the guy she'd be seeing tomorrow night and smiled as she pictured his toned body, full lips and bedroom eyes. "How about an 'I like this guy who's so hot we probably won't make it back to his place' date?"

Mouth's eyebrows rose and then he chuckled when he realized she was joking… or at least he thought she was joking. "Well that outfit would definitely work."

She smirked and gestured for him to continue with his story.

"That's it really. I just hope it doesn't backfire on me and make me look like a jerk. I really want that job."

"And I'm sure you'll get it!" she enthused before sitting on the edge of her bed to try on a pair of heeled boots with the outfit. She caught a glimpse of herself in the long mirror that stood in the corner of her room and realized that the skirt was a little shorter than she remembered in the store. It may even be a little more daring than even she was used to. It probably didn't help matters that the top she wore was really more of a lingerie item and bared a hell of a lot of flesh. Shaking her head at the reflection she realized she's probably never wear the two together. They'd need to be paired with something more conservative. There was a fine line between sexy and slutty… and usually she didn't like to cross over it.

"Speaking of jobs… how did Haley take the news?" Mouth asked with a grimace, glad he hadn't been present for that little conversation.

"Huh?" The brunette asked absently as she struggled to pull the zipper all the way up on her black suede knee high boots. Had she put on weight? Were her legs getting fat? Oh God… no guy wanted a girl with chunky calves!

"Are my legs fat?" she asked urgently, biting her lip.

He looked at her as if she was crazy and shook his head. "Nothing about you could be considered fat, Brooke."

She sighed with relief and studied her appearance in the mirror once more. Not bad. She had no trouble admitting her body looked fabulous in this outfit. Not something she could wear just anywhere, but hey, if she decided to take drama classes and try her hand at some method acting, she could definitely be a call girl. Yeah, just like in Pretty Woman… except without that hideous hair! She had Julia Roberts beat hands down in the hair department… and boobs. She had bigger boobs than her too.

"Brooke? Earth to Brooke?" Mouth waved a hand in front of her face, wondering what on earth had her looking like the cat that ate the cream.

"Oh, sorry. You were saying?"

"I was asking how Haley took the news. You know… when you told her about Polly's being a strip club."

"Oh my God!" Brooke's jaw dropped and a look of pure horror masked her face.

"No. Please don't tell me you forgot. Haley is going to kill you!"

Diving across her bed, she reached out and grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table hitting the speed dial she'd programmed for Haley's phone.

"Oh Tutorgirl. Thank God I caught you. Are you at Polly's yet?" she asked hesitantly expecting a tirade, knowing that her normally mild mannered roommate could turn kick ass when mad.

"Brooke! It's my first day. Are you crazy? I'll talk to you when I get home."

"No! Wait…" Brooke stared down at the phone in her hand and stamped her foot before looking at her friend. "I didn't get a chance to tell her. She hung up on me."

"We have to go down there and warn her." Mouth started pacing the room knowing Haley was going to be more than pissed about this. It showed just how naïve she could be if she hadn't figured out it was strip club after immediately after arriving. It would have been cute if he didn't know how mad she was going to be that they hadn't told her.

Brooke glanced at her alarm clock and whimpered. "Crap, the show starts in like ten minutes! Mouth, we'll never make it in time!"

Grabbing her shoulder bag Brooke decided she'd just have to run like the wind and looked down at her new, incredibly expensive boots, worried not at all about the blisters she'd get but instead about ruining her new prized possessions. But there was no time to change them. Haley was going to kill her if she didn't get there in time to warn her… and at least this way she'd die looking good.

As she reached the front door, Brooke looked back at her friend who stood hesitantly in the doorway to her room and she made a snap decision, stalking back over to him and grabbing his collar. After all, he'd known about Polly's too and could have said something to Haley.

"Maybe I should just wait here." He muttered, not wanting to be present for the blood bath that was sure to come.

"Oh no. If I'm going down, you're going down with me!" When he reluctantly followed her she turned and gave him a pointed stare. "Let's move it. If I'm going to ruin these shoes, it had better be worth it. We're going to run like we've never run before. Haley needs us. We have to get there in time. It may seem impossible, but I know if we really try we can do it. We're a team, Mouth; you, me and Haley. We can't let her down! If you think about it, we're like a tripod, and if one of those legs collapses we all collapse…"

Mouth couldn't help but smile at her rambling as he clapped his hand over her mouth. "As much I dig the motivational speech… we've just wasted another minute here."

Grabbing his hand, she opened the door and pulled him through not even bothering to stop and lock it. As they ran down the hall she glanced at him and smirked. "I so rocked that speech though, didn't I? It was totally motivational."

"Yes Yoda." He chuckled

Brooke frowned as they made their way outside and headed in the direction of the club. "Huh? What's a Yoda?"

Brooke had been right. The first act was supposed to go on in a minute and the place was already crawling with college boys. She wondered what it was about this club that attracted them in droves. She supposed if Candi was a regular they might come to see her… but hopefully her music was as lovely as her looks.

"Haley!" She turned to find Joe smiling at her warmly. "This needs to go to table thirty. It's over to the right of the stage."

"Thanks Joe." She took the tray holding a few beers and glasses of whiskey and headed in search of table thirty. She'd been serving for half an hour now and was doing pretty well at remembering the table numbers. It was a little more difficult as the place filled up though. At that moment the lights went down and she stumbled on the step that led down to more tables surrounding the stage. Using her free hand to grab for the railing she managed to right herself and thank her lucky stars that her klutzy ways hadn't caused her to embarrass herself in front of all of these guys… or more worryingly, gotten her fired.

Just as she was about to continue on her way she felt a firm hand squeeze her ass and she whirled around to see who had touched her, one of the beers on her tray tipping over and the contents pouring out onto the lap of the guy who had manhandled her. He immediately shot up out of his chair and began cursing.

"You stupid skank! What the hell are you doing working here if you can't even manage the simple task of walking?" If she wasn't so worried about losing her job already she would have picked up another bottle and poured it on his head. However before she could have even responded, Joe was standing between her and Mr. Grabby Hands ordering him out of the club.

"Are you serious? This is her fault." The guy spat out glaring at Haley who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as the people around them began to stare.

"Maybe if you kept your hands to yourself, our staff would have an easier time serving our customers. Now get out!"

Haley couldn't help the smirk that came to her lips as the guy's jaw dropped in indignation. "I can't believe this shit. Whatever! You're all worthless working in a dive like this; a waste of space."

Haley saw red as she heard him speak so disrespectfully about the people she had just begun working with. It took guts to get up on stage and bare your self to an audience. They deserved a lot more respect that this.

"You're pathetic. These performers are artists. They put their heart and soul into their work. Who the hell are you to pass judgment on them?"

Loud applause broke out around them and Haley felt herself turning red with embarrassment. She hated being in this type of spotlight and yet here she was again, drawing attention to herself in the most embarrassing way. And the worst thing was she couldn't just turn away and leave, she'd have to serve these people all night.

She noticed that Mr. Grabby Hands was no longer looking so self-righteous and he quickly turned, stalking out of the club with his friends sheepishly following.

"Sorry about this Haley. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your first night. It's not something that happens very often." Joe placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"It's okay. Thanks for helping me out."

He smiled and gazed at her so intently for a moment that she stopped breathing. She may be clueless when it came to the ways of men, but there was no questioning what that look meant. He was attracted to her and it seemed like he held an intense admiration for her, not that she could think why. Surely her comments about the performers of the club weren't that big of a deal? As far as she was concerned it was just common courtesy to respect them and standing up for them certainly wasn't something out of the ordinary. There was no time to ponder the thought as loud music began playing through the speaker system and lights shone on the stage as Bambi was announced as the first performer.

Haley shook her head and chuckled. "Candi. Bambi. Where on earth did these names come from?"

She moved forward making her way to table thirty which she had more luck locating now that most of the guys were in their seats now that the music had begun. Locating the table, Haley placed the drinks down and frowned when not one of the men even acknowledged her presence, obviously too riveted to look away from the stage for a second. She frowned noting for the first time that the music was not live. She had expected pianos and guitars and felt disappointed that this might be more like karaoke than a live music venue.

Loud cheering broke out and she noticed the crowd getting excited. Haley raised an eyebrow as she took in the way the crowd, the male crowd, began to stir and couldn't help comparing them to a pack of dogs around a bitch in heat. It was kind of disturbing. Candi should be appreciated for her musical talent, not simply lusted after because of her stunningly good looks.

Haley tucked her tray under her arm and turned around ready to head back to the bar when she was hit in the face by something soft. She froze for a moment and heard the men around her laughing and hooting. Opening her eyes, Haley saw that what she held in her hand was a bra. Someone had thrown a bra at her? What the hell kind of job had Brooke gotten her? Shaking her head with disbelief Haley looked up and froze when she saw Bambi gyrating on stage in nothing more than a thong; a thong that matched the bra in her hand perfectly.

"Holy shit." She whispered as her eyes grew wide as saucers. Polly's was a strip club! That was her last thought before her world went black.

"Haley. Haley honey, open your eyes."

The pain throbbing in her head felt like someone had taken to stabbing her with an ice pick. She groaned, trying to lift her eyelids, wishing everyone would just stop calling her name and let her sleep. It didn't hurt when she was asleep.

"Tutorgirl! Wake up!"

"Brooke?" she rasped opening her eyes slightly, surprised to find a number of concerned faces peering down at her.

"Oh thank God! She's alive Mouth. She's alive!"

"She was never dead, Brooke." He replied dryly, trying not to laugh at her glare.

"Oh Haley, we were so worried. Do you remember what happened?" That was a different voice she couldn't quite place. Trying to sit up, she felt the pain get worse but fought against it and brought a hand up to her aching temple where she felt a sticky substance. Blood. Her stomach churned as she studied the thick crimson stain on her fingers.

"You fainted hon, and hit your head on the table. We're going to take you to the emergency room okay?"

Haley looked up again and realized it was Candi who was talking to her, and she attempted a smile while nodding her head. As she started to get her bearings she noticed all of the customers looking on intently, trying to see what was going on and knew that she'd rather be at the hospital than here under their scrutinizing gazes.

She felt a strong arm move around her and lift her to her feet, steadying her until she was confident to stand on her own. It was Joe who had helped her up and she smiled reassuringly when she saw the concern in his eyes. "I'll be fine Joe. You should probably get back to the bar before a riot breaks out."

He looked as though he was about to protest; insist that he go to the hospital but Carlos moved into the circle around her and informed them that Candi and Bambi would go with her and all the other staff would stay and finish their shifts. She quickly glanced across at Bambi who was smiling in a motherly fashion and was relieved to find that she was no longer half naked, but wore a mini skirt and singlet, although there was no hiding the fact that she was very definitely braless… as evidenced by the bra still grasped firmly in Haley's hand. She bit her lip and hesitantly handed the garment over avoiding eye contact. God this was so embarrassing.

The crowd around them seemed to disperse as Brooke and Mouth stood on either side of her and walked to the exit with the two dancers right behind them. "I've got my car, so I'll drive." Candi offered as they made there way out to the parking lot.

She hated hospitals. Unless you were here to pop out a baby, there was nothing good about a visit to a hospital. The smell reminded her of death and that really shouldn't surprise here, she thought, with the ridiculously long waiting times to even see a damn doctor… it was quite possible she would die waiting.

Sitting there in the uncomfortable plastic chair, Haley wished they'd just let her go home to bed, but the admitting nurse said she might have concussion and never wakeup. Well at this moment… it wasn't that bad of an option.

"That's so cool. I always wanted to be a dancer when I was little girl. I'm a cheerleader now. You know, I think I'd be really good."

Haley rolled her eyes. Trust Brooke to have had the childhood dream of being a freakin' stripper! She knew she was being unfair, but damn it she was beyond pissed at her roommate for not telling her Polly's was a strip club. If she'd known she wouldn't have wound up here needing stitches! Truthfully, if she'd known, she never would have set foot in the place to begin with. The thought bothered her, because even knowing now what kind of club it is, Haley really liked the people she worked with and decided she'd like to continue there. If she still had a job that is.

"Oh, well you've totally got the body for it." Bambi replied "And the attitude"

Haley chuckled a little as Brooke blushed, obviously reveling in the compliment. This girl certainly was one of a kind.

"And the dress sense. Honey, that outfit is slamming… and those shoes. Hot! Although, you might need to get those professionally cleaned." Bambi wrinkled her nose in disgust as she studied the shoes.

Haley leaned forward, wincing at the pain in her head and peered over at them; knee high heeled boots that looked to be made of a suede material and knowing Brooke, were probably ridiculously expensive. What stood out though, were the dark stains on each of the shoes.

"I don't know if the smell will ever come out… or if I could wear them again knowing what happened to them." She gave a little shudder and mouth laughed, earning him a playful slap.

"What happened?" Haley asked, temporarily forgetting that she was giving her friend the silent treatment.

"Um… nothing." Brooke said nervously, avoiding eye contact.

Haley looked at Mouth pointedly, knowing that he'd feel too sorry for her to lie. "Um… you kind of threw up on them back at the club while you were out of it."

Haley's mouth dropped. That was disgusting! No only had she caused a guy to get kicked out, then fainted and knocked her head requiring a trip to the hospital… but she'd thrown up on someone's shoes as well. Great first impression on the job.

"Sorry, Brooke." She offered sheepishly, knowing how obsessed she was about her clothing.

The other brunette waived it off and shrugged, still not looking at her friend. "No harm done. It's not like I have any right to be mad at you for anything. It's my fault your at the hospital." She finally looked over and there was a light sheen to her eyes, a sure sign she was just about ready to cry. "I'm really sorry Haley."

All her anger towards Brooke disappeared in that moment. She was a good friend and she'd made a mistake. End of story.

"Me too." Mouth offered sheepishly.

Haley smiled at them both. "You're forgiven. I mean, it's not so bad. I'll be fine."

Brooke rushed over and hugged her friend, waving for Mouth to come and join them in a group hug.

"Haley James."

Haley sighed with relief as the doctor called her name. They all offered to go with her, but she felt a bit smothered by all the attention and asked that they wait for her to come out.

As they waited, Mouth watched Brooke chatting away with Candi and Bambi and wondered how he'd ever become friends with these people. He hadn't known a single person on his first day at Duke and then he'd seen Haley stand up for herself and known that he wanted to know her. Brooke Davis was another matter altogether. She was like a whirlwind; completely unlike any other person he'd known and even though he thought she was hot as hell, what he appreciated most was her friendship. The way she treated him as her equal, not as some geeky guy she liked to have around to pump up her ego. These two girls were something special.

"Hey. Hey dude."

Mouth turned around to the guy behind him trying to get his attention. He looked to be just a few years older and appeared to have been in a fight, judging by his black eye and the towel and cooling pad wrapped around his hand.

"Yeah?"

"What is your secret?"

"Um, what?"

"What is your secret man? You're like freaking Hugh Heffner over there with your playboy bunnies. You're surrounded by strippers dude! Wait… are you a pimp?"

The girls seemed to notice they were being discussed and turned in their seats with interest. Mouth winced at how Brooke would react to being taken for a stripper… or worse, a hooker. He could only imagine how feisty she could get with this poor guy.

"Oh, well Brooke here isn't actually…"

"We prefer the term exotic dancers, actually." She purred and then asked. "And what makes you so sure we are?"

The guy gulped wondering if he'd managed to get himself into trouble. "Oh, well… look I'm sorry if I offended you. You're just so hot, and your outfit is… well I just assumed."

"You think I'm hot enough to be a stripper?"

They guy seemed to asses her for a moment and realized that she sounded more pleased than pissed off by his comment. "Hell yes!"

"Did you hear that, Mouth? I'm hot enough to be a stripper!"

The guy frowned for a moment. "Wait, so you're not a stripper?"

"No, but we are." Candi and Bambi smiled proudly as they linked arms, getting nice and close with every intention of teasing the boy.

The guy turned back to mouth in awe, admiration shining in his slightly intoxicated eyes. "Man, you are a God."

Haley woke up to the sun beaming through her window and shining brightly into her eyes. She'd always been a morning person, so why was she wishing the sun a thousand deaths right now?

Rolling over, she winced as the left side of her head came into contact with her pillow and pain spread over her temple and erupted behind her eye. The memories of the night before came rushing back to her and she groaned, not only at the physical pain, but at the embarrassment she felt. Glancing at her alarm clock, she bolted upright, holding her throbbing head. She was late. She'd already missed her first class!

Racing around her room as fast as she could in her current state, Haley quickly dressed in a knee length denim skirt, green flip flops and one of her favorite green filmy tops that felt airy and dipped a little lower in back. She struggled to get over head, her whole body feeling heavier that usual, but managed with a bit of twisting and tugging.

Glancing in the mirror she studied her reflection, the tired eyes, bruised and swollen temple around the stitches and tape the doctor had applied. Nope. No point in even trying today. No amount of makeup was going to stop her looking like the Bride of Frankenstein; even her hair had taken on a life of its own, the curls flying free. It wasn't that her hair looked bad necessarily… just like she'd been for a ride in a sports car with the top down. Running her fingers through it a few times, she tamed the curls as much as she could and sighed. It would have to do.

Stepping out into the living area Haley smiled when she found a note on the kitchen bench alongside a bowl of fruit salad, a glass of water and two pain killers.

_Good morning sunshine! _

_Held a mirror up to your nose and you were still breathing so I decided to let you sleep in. Have a good day Tutorgirl and call me if you need anything. I'll keep my cell on. _

_Love Brooke. _

And then in scribbled writing underneath.

_'and Mouth'. _

The note seemed to have lightened her mood and after eating a few mouthfuls Haley grabbed her bag and left the suite heading for her next class. She knew she probably could have gotten away with taking the day off. The doctor had given her a medical certificate after all, but she never took a sick day unless absolutely necessary. So maybe her head was pounding, and the sun seemed just a little more glaringly bright than usual, but that didn't mean she shouldn't try to make it through the rest of her day's classes.

"Haley?"

She spun around a little too quickly and lost her balance, her bag falling off her shoulder as she righted herself. "Crap" she muttered as she realized she'd forgotten to zip up her bag and her books had spilled out onto the lawn.

A shadow fell across her and she looked up to find herself staring into those blue eyes that were turning her life upside down at the moment. "Nathan. Hi."

"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that I noticed you weren't in Hadley's class this morning."

He had noticed she wasn't in class! That was the first thought that entered her mind and even though she knew it was beyond ridiculous, the knowledge that he'd noticed warmed her heart a little. What kind of spell did this boy have over her?

"Oh, yeah, I slept in. It's a long story. So how are you?"

When she finished picking up her books and went to grab the last one out of his hands she noticed he hadn't responded and looked up from her bag to find him staring, but not at her stitches as she'd expected. No, he was staring at her chest.

Her heart started being faster and she blushed faintly and quickly diverted her gaze, worried he'd know she caught him staring. It was when she looked down that she realized exactly why he'd been staring. In her rush to get ready she'd put her damn top on backwards and the low back now looked extra low as the filmy material fell forward, and she gathered from his position in front of her, it had been exposing her entire chest to him all the way down to her navel.

"Oh God." She whispered which brought Nathan out of his daze. She noticed a faint blush on his cheeks before it completely disappeared without a trace. If she wasn't so horribly mortified, she'd have thought it cute.

Glancing at him awkwardly, Haley stood up quickly forgetting her injury and almost toppling over again before Nathan caught her.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked as she gathered herself, her head resting on his shoulder as she fought through the dizziness. When she finally stood back from him and looked up at him she saw him notice for the first time, the stitches on her hairline and the white tape. Not surprising really considering he hadn't taken his eyes off her chest long enough to actually see her face. Thank God she'd grabbed a pretty bra this morning.

"What happened? Jesus, are you alright? Do you need to see a doctor?"

She'd never seen Nathan Scott anything but cool, calm and collected, so to know that he was getting worked up over his worry for her left Haley feeling extremely chuffed.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little accident, but I'll be fine. Although I think I might skip classes today… and I think I should put my top on the right way around."

Nathan threw his head back and laughed, a sound that swept over her and had her nerves tingling. "Good idea." He said nodding his head. "Want some company?"

"Fixing my top?" she asked startled.

"No. Do you want some company for the rest of the day? Although I wouldn't be completely opposed to helping you with your top… and another look at that cute little bra couldn't hurt."

She furrowed her brow for a moment and then glared at him, annoyed that he implied she was flat chested. She may not be Betty Big Jugs, but she most certainly was not small in the boob department! "Little?"

She could see him trying to hold back a laugh before winked at her. "Well, maybe 'little' was the wrong word." He smirked and chuckled when he saw blush again.

Ego appeased by his comment, she decided to ignore his teasing for fear of actually turning into a tomato with how red she was becoming, Haley slapped his arm and continued on. "But you have classes."

"Stop being my tutor for five minutes will you?" He laughed jokingly.

"Sorry. Force of habit. What would we do? I'm not exactly up for anything exciting."

"Ice cream. Let me shout you an ice cream. Sweet Susie's is just a few minutes away… and if you promise no lectures on skipping classes I might even buy you a bag of lollies for the road."

Haley couldn't hide her grin. He was seriously being the sweetest guy ever and if she wasn't so wrapped up in his smile she'd have known she should have said no. She wasn't supposed to have feelings for Lucas' brother. Unfortunately it seemed like she was a little too late to worry about that now.

"Well I already have a concussion… what's the harm in indulging in a sugar coma?"

Nathan smiled and picked up her bag off the ground, hoisting it over his shoulder. She shuddered slightly when he slipped his arm through hers and even though she knew it was just in case she toppled over, she couldn't help feeling that it felt right.

"So are you a chocolate or vanilla girl, James?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Once again the feedback for this story has been fantastic. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby), Elena (Typokween) and Bec (pinkysupergirl) for all of your comments and suggestions with this update.

* * *

"Boysenberry swirl. Interesting choice." Haley commented, smirking as she looked away. 

"Really? Why?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she placed her milkshake down on the table and took a seat opposite Nathan while making sure the scoops of ice cream which sat precariously near the edge of her teetering bowl didn't fall off in the process. It was a gorgeous day outside so they'd decided to sit at the tables on the sidewalk rather than inside Sweet Susie's, a popular hang out for the college crowd. "I don't know. I guess I just pictured you choosing something more traditional, like chocolate. Boysenberry's kinda…"

"What?"

"Well it's kind of a girly ice cream."

Nathan spluttered with indignation. "Geez. Tell me what you really think James. And it is _not_ a girly ice cream. It's just as manly as… I don't know. Is there such a thing as manly ice cream?" he asked thoughtfully, then looked at her defiantly. "It is _not_ girly."

"I'm sorry. You're right. All those pink swirls in your ice cream are definitely not girly."

Haley suppressed a giggle as she watched him take a defiant mouthful of his ice cream and narrow his eyes at her playfully. "Well at least I'm not a child. Rainbow surprise? Pfft."

Haley held back a grin, loving this playful banter between them. He really was a lot of fun to be around. "Don't knock it buster! There're freakin' sweets hidden in this ice cream, dude. Everyone loves sweets… and don't even think about trying to steal any of mine. Nuh-uh. Find your own hidden sweets… but oh, I forgot. You don't have any. Ha!... Stupid boysenberry swirl" she muttered.

Winding up her teasing rant Haley realized that Nathan was staring at her with a smirk on his lips and she suddenly felt nervous again. She hadn't expected to feel so comfortable with him, but this whole conversation reminded her of times she spent with Luke. The thought of her best friend dampened her spirits as she remembered the reason she'd continued to befriend this guy in the first place. She pushed a lock of hair off her forehead and accidentally grazed her stitches, wincing at the contact.

"So how'd you get the nasty gash anyway?"

Blushing profusely Haley pondered making up a story but the thought of adding more lies to her existing one, even if it was more of an omission rather than a lie, and decided on the truth.

"Oh, um… a little accident at work."

"Oh yeah. It was your first night, right? What happened?"

"Well Brooke got me the job," crinkling her forehead, Haley shook her head and chuckled, "that should probably have been my first clue that it would be a disaster, anyway I thought Polly's was just a regular club where lots of college kids hang out because they don't check for IDs."

She noticed Nathan biting on his bottom lip obviously trying not to laugh. It seemed perhaps she was the only one not to realize exactly what kind of establishment it was. Maybe she was as naïve as Taylor had always accused her of being.

"As you obviously already know, I was wrong. Unfortunately I didn't clue into the fact I was working in a strip club until I got hit in the face by a flying bra." Even she was having trouble containing her giggles.

"A flying bra did that?" Nathan gestured to her forehead questioningly.

"Oh no. That wouldn't have been nearly embarrassing enough. No, at that point I was still confused but when I saw Bambi up on stage in nothing but a g-string everything fell into place… and I kind of fainted. Hit my head on the edge of a table on my way down and voila… head injury."

"Bambi? Damn James, this is too funny. Is your life always this eventful?" he asked shaking his head with laughter.

"Oh, that's not even the end of the story. I came to with Brooke and Mouth hovering over me as well as Joe and a couple of the dancers." Her face flushed again with embarrassment remembering all the fuss she'd caused.

"Who's Joe?" Haley's gaze flew to his at his question; for a moment there she'd thought she'd heard a disapproving tone, but his face showed no sign of it.

"He's the barman at work. He helped me out with a customer that was getting a little too grope-y." Seeing him shrug dismissively Haley decided to keep going. "Anyway, Carlos my boss decided that he'd send Candi and Bambi along with us to the hospital. So there we are in the emergency room getting curious stares as Brooke quizzed the girls on their jobs and basically hero-worshipped them while Mouth looked bemused about the whole thing. Me and my head injury were basically forgotten of course, what with all of the more exciting goings on."

Lifting her milkshake and taking another sip, Haley closed her eyes and emitted a small moan of pleasure in the back her throat. God she loved chocolate milkshakes. At the feel of warm fingers against her forehead, her eyes flew open to find Nathan gazing at her worriedly. She suppressed a shudder at his touch, her skin coming to life beneath the soft stroke of his fingers and her breath hitched in her throat. What on earth did this boy do to her?

"Does it hurt? You were dizzy earlier; maybe I should have taken you back to your room."

It took her a few moments to get her voice but she shook her head softly. "No. I'm fine. I'm glad we came."

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like endless minutes that their gazes locked and Haley knew she was in trouble. This was Lucas' brother. A brother he knew nothing about and who she was supposed to be gathering information on. There was absolutely no room for stupid crushes in this situation. She knew she needn't have worried though as Nathan blinked suddenly and any idea she had of him being as frozen in the moment as she disappeared when he smirked and leaned his head to the side thoughtfully.

"I guess I'm not going to be getting a private striptease now, huh?"

She frowned for a moment wondering what on earth had prompted such random comment before it hit her; a memory from their tutoring session of a conversation about her hopes of performing at the club and the 'incentive' she'd given him for getting good grades.

"_If you get an eighty or higher on that test I'll give you a private performance, something a little more intimate than what I'd do at the bar." _

Before she could stop herself Haley began choking on the mouthful of milkshake she'd just taken and the liquid sprayed forth across the table, splattering over their unfinished bowls of ice cream and far enough to cover most of Nathan's shirt with milk droplets. He sat frozen with shock for a moment before jumping up from his seat and racing around to pat her back, the scene eliciting curious glances from other students also enjoying a snack in the sunshine.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded as she struggled to get her coughing under control and remembered how Nathan had been in the same position during their tutoring session. What a big misunderstanding her job had become! Covering her face with her hands she silently wished for this all to be a nightmare, but peeking through her fingers and seeing Nathan looking at her with a mixed expression of amusement and what could only be described as 'is this girl nuts?', she realized that yes… she really had just managed to make a fool of herself in front of him once again.

"Nathan, I'm so sorry." She groaned, embarrassingly close to tears. He'd probably think she was a major freak after this and avoid her for the next four years.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Nothing a spin in the washing machine can't fix."

He seemed genuinely unaffected by it and that made her feel worse. Why did he have to be so nice? It really wasn't helping things… like the way her heart raced every time he locked his gorgeous blue eyes with hers. If she had many more fantasies about this boy she'd be worried about having nympho tendencies.

"I'll do it. I'll wash your shirt. It's only fair."

"You don't have to do that."

"No I want to. We can go back to the dorms and I'll wash it there. We've even got dryers so you can wear it again to go home."

"You just want me to strip for you don't you James?" he joked causing a blush to creep up her cheeks as she thought of how close to the truth that was. She definitely wouldn't find having him half naked in her suite a hardship. Not at all.

Playing it off as nonchalantly as she could, Haley rolled her eyes and huffed. "Yeah. I'm just dying to get you naked. C'mon. Let's get out of here; I've had enough of people staring at me over the past month to last me a lifetime."

* * *

"You can turn around now." 

Haley cringed as she heard his teasing and didn't need eyes in the back of her head to know that trademark sexy smirk she'd come to both love and hate was plastered on his face. She'd known it was stupid to turn away as he'd removed his shirt, especially considering she'd been unable to find anything large enough for him to wear and he'd be shirtless for the next hour or so anyway, but it felt too intimate watching him strip it off. Her attraction to him was growing all the time and who knew what stupid words would come flying out of her mouth - if she wasn't drooling too terribly - at the sight of him removing his t-shirt? Oh God, just the thought of it was making her tingle in places long left… untingled.

Sure enough his smirk was set in place along with a teasing glimmer in his eyes. At least he found it amusing rather than just plain weird. He tended to find everything she did amusing and she wasn't sure if she liked it. Obviously she didn't want Nathan thinking of her as a freak, but nothing she did seemed to faze him, whereas she constantly felt off-balance around him. It wasn't hard to figure the difference was the fact that she wanted in his pants and to him; she was simply his slightly klutzy, embarrassment prone tutor.

"You're pretty when you blush, James."

And then he'd make a comment like that which made her wonder if perhaps he thought of her as more than just a tutor. She was filled with hope for a moment and then quickly dampened it down. Even if he was interested, nothing could happen between them. The whole Lucas situation would be way too weird. Deciding the best thing to do was keep herself occupied before she grew as red as a tomato, Haley moved forward and held out her hand gesturing for his top, all the while avoiding looking at his chest. That golden chest with the taught skin over well defined muscles… Oh crap! Stop thinking about his chest Haley!

"I'll be back in a few." She muttered grabbing his top and racing out the door, leaning back against it as she tried to compose herself. As she stepped away from the door she remembered that the machines were coin operated and she'd left her purse inside… and her keys. Groaning softly she turned and knocked on the door, startled when it opened instantly. And there he was again, smirking down at her.

"Honey, you're home." He chuckled as she shook her head and rolled her eyes at his joke as he handed her her purse and keys. "I figured you'd need this."

"Thanks. I'll leave my keys. You can let me back in."

"As long as I'm not too busy rifling through your underwear drawer to hear you. Your green lacy thong is my favorite so far." He winked at her and closed the door in her shocked face. What the? How the hell did he know about her thongs? She should be mad… or creeped out, but pathetically she was more flattered than anything. The thought of Nathan looking at her underwear sent a sliver of excitement down her spine.

It would normally only take a couple of minutes to set up the machine, but Haley stalled for time, needing a little longer to gain back her equilibrium. She always felt at a disadvantage around Nathan, when really, they were in her territory and she should be in control. Ha! He may be sitting in her apartment - possibly going through her drawers - but he was also shirtless. That definitely put him in control.

Taking a deep breath she trudged back upstairs and knocked on the door, smiling when he opened up and let her in. Was it weird that it felt nice pretending she was coming home to him? A guy she barely knew? She watched him walk over to the sofa and plonk down on end, looking up at her expectantly and it was then she realized he was a guest in her home… even if he had already made himself more than at home to her underwear.

"Finished with my panties then?" she asked offhandedly trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yep. The green ones were definitely my favorite."

Haley knew she was blushing furiously and quickly ducked her head and turned away from him so that he couldn't see.

"You seriously thought I'd looked through your underwear?" Nathan joked, shaking his head unbelievingly. "As much fun as that would probably be… my mother taught me better. Besides, if they're as sexy as these" Nathan gestured to the green thong he'd described earlier which lay with a pile of folded laundry in a chair in the corner of the room, "I might have had to steal some."

Haley felt her blush grow ever brighter; intensely annoyed that he could embarrass her so easily and was obviously enjoying every moment of it as he laughed from his seat on the sofa.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks. I'd rather sit here and find out more about Haley James." He said patting the other cushion on the sofa.

Taking a seat stiffly on the other end of the sofa, Haley once again averted her gaze, feeling like a voyeur if she dared get a glimpse of his exposed torso. He was probably sick of girls fawning all over him and staring at his body. She felt a little embarrassed to think that he might see her as just another one of his little groupies who drooled at the sight of him, and lifting her chin defiantly she turned to face him, her face a mask of indifference.

"What do you want to know? My life's pretty boring."

Nathan grinned and she couldn't help but smile, her blank façade cracking slightly at the boyish expression on his face. "You have so far proven to be anything but boring James. How about you just start with your family? Where are you from?"

"I grew up in Tree Hill with my family. I'm one of six kids. My parents are still together and as disgustingly happy as the day they married." She said with an affection belying the harshness of her words.

"Six kids. Wow. Are you close with your family?"

"Um. Yeah I am. I'm the youngest so most of my older siblings are almost more like parents than brothers and sisters, and even though I don't see them often I miss them a lot. I have a lot of nieces and nephews now too which is cool. I'm really close with my parents so it's actually been a bit strange not seeing them everyday."

"Well Tree Hill's not that far from here so you'll be able to visit them, right?"

Offering up a tentative smile, she relaxed back against the sofa and shook her head. "I was the last child to leave the nest and they've just bought an RV ready to hit the road in a couple of weeks, so I guess it won't really be my home any more now that everyone's left."

"Surely there are other things there that make it your home. Just because people move on doesn't mean a place stops meaning anything to you or you lose your memories of it." There was wistfulness in his words and she wondered if he too had fond memories of home.

"Yeah. You're right. Plus I basically half lived with my best friend and Karen… that's my best friend's mum and she still lives there and runs a café in town. Karen made us promise to visit on holidays so I know there will always be a place for me there if I want it."

She caught a look of sadness in his eyes and wondered if he was missing his father… Luke's father. Her chest tightened for a moment and nerves overcame her as she realized now was the perfect time to find out some of the information she was after.

"What about you? Where are you from? What is your family like?"

It was like a shutter came down over his face as he schooled his features to show nonchalance, but not before she'd seen a flicker of pain and possibly anger in his eyes. "Not much to tell really. It's just me and my mom. She still lives in our house in Charlotte."

"Oh ok." She had no idea what to do. Should she push him for more? Ask about his dad? "Was it always just you and your mother?"

"No. My dad died a few months ago." She already knew that and felt the worse kind of guilt for making him talk about it. At that moment she wished she'd never seen that stupid letter on Karen's table; never heard the name Dan Scott.

"I'm sorry Nathan." She offered, placing a hand over his as it lay on his thigh. "Were you close?"

She watched him swallow and wondered if maybe he was going to cry. How was it possible for a man to father two sons; one of them so distraught by his death he was on the verge of tears and the other never having known him or even heard the news of his death at all? He'd turned towards her and for a moment he was unguarded enough for her to see that it wasn't sadness that had made him so tense… it was a mixture of so many intense emotions she'd never be able to pinpoint them all. One thing she did know was that he was hurting and she could guess that maybe having their father in his life hadn't been such wonderful thing. There was something about his relationship with his father that made Nathan Scott seem haunted and betrayed.

"He was really involved in my life." Nathan offered shrugging lightly, but it didn't escape Haley's attention that he had managed to avoid really answering the question. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about this any more and her heart was breaking as she remembered the look in his eyes only moments ago so she decided to let it go.

When she'd come to Duke she'd thought her research would involve a little observation and asking around about the school's star basketballer, but since she'd met Nathan nothing had gone according to her plan and he was no longer a faceless guy that happened to be related to her best friend. He was Nathan Scott. The guy who always seemed to be around when she needed help, who made her laugh and teased her affectionately; who made her heart race and her skin tingle. And at this moment he made her want to gather him up in her arms and hug him tightly, erasing whatever memories had him looking so miserable moments earlier.

Shaking his head as though ridding himself of unwanted thoughts Nathan turned back to her with a dazzling smile, any evidence of his earlier discomfort gone. "So with a large family like yours you must have plenty of stories to tell. There's always a black sheep or a wild child. That wouldn't be you would it James?"

"Me?" she scoffed. "Definitely not. That was my sister Taylor who is two years older than me. She was the queen of wild… still is actually. God, she got up to so much mischief and could be a royal pain in the ass… but she also has this ability to make people lighten up you know? She's always the life of the party." Haley smiled thinking of Taylor. They'd had their difficulties growing up but since her sister had left home they'd seemed to get along better and she was now quite fond of her… but Haley wasn't stupid enough not to realize that most of that was to do with the fact that three state lines separated them.

"So did you and your sister get along well then?"

One of the problems in her relationship with her sister was that she always felt so plain compared to her and she was still embarrassed to admit that, so she tried to shrug it off as not important when it really did bother her. "Not at all. Taylor and I have always been like oil and water. She's so… wild, carefree and daring whereas I was always the quiet, boring, predictable one, you know?"

"Not really. You've never come across as any of those things Haley."

She shivered, loving the way he said her name rather than playfully calling her by her last name which he'd become accustomed to doing. "Really?"

He nodded, staring at her intently. "I never really know what to expect when you're around. You're like one big mystery."

"Oh." Had she imagined the huskiness in his voice? Feeling slightly uncomfortable and knowing she was bound to be reading too much into the situation, or even more likely, reading what she wanted rather than what actually was, Haley began babbling away about her family.

The brunette's usual tendency to ramble took over until she had them both in stitches as she recounted some Taylor stories of which there were enough to fill a book. Unfortunately the sisters had still shared a room in their early teens and Haley had had to spend countless hours listening to her sister go on and on about boys. She and Nathan had been laughing so hard that her stomach ached, but she forged on with another story at his insistence about the time her Dad had caught her then thirteen year old sister in bed with a boy… but it had in fact been Taylor's almost life sized teddy bear, and the moaning noises he'd heard were actually the teenager practicing French kissing.

"Are you serious?"

Haley nodded her head and chuckled. "Yep."

"I can't believe that. Damn, your parents deserve a medal."

"I know. Just dealing with Tay was enough to cause a full on meltdown let alone the rest of us." She joked, all the time knowing that he probably put his parents through a lot of the same stuff. Brooke had already told her what he'd been like over the last few years when they'd met at college parties and he was definitely no choir boy. She'd seen it for herself not long ago when she'd disappointedly watched him walk up those stairs to meet Becky at the party Brooke had dragged her to.

"I always wished I'd had a brother or sister."

And with that, the spell was broken. Her easiness around him and the natural playful banter they'd been sharing was ruined as she was reminded once again of the big secret she kept which would impact other's lives dramatically. He noticed the change in atmosphere and sat up straighter looking like he was about to reach out to her, but she couldn't handle that; she would break down and tell him the truth and she owed it to Lucas, her best friend, to make sure he knew first. And then there was that stupid promise she'd made to Karen that she'd let her tell Luke when she was ready. It was understandable that she needed time to figure out how to break the news to Luke that his father was dead and that he had a brother he'd known nothing about… but she just hoped that it wouldn't be too much longer.

Haley swallowed nervously and stood up from the sofa, sighing when she saw Nathan's furrowed brow, obviously thinking he'd said or done something to make her uncomfortable. He looked down at his naked torso and back up at her and she could see him wondering if it was still bothering her, but in all honesty she'd completely stopped noticing his nakedness at all. In fact, she'd been having such a great time talking with Nathan and getting to know him as a friend that Haley had completely forgotten he was shirtless… and she'd also forgotten the reason she'd wanted to know more about him in the first place. As soon as he'd mentioned his wish for siblings her mind had turned to the situation with Lucas. How had she become so devious? Here she was sitting with a guy she'd purposely set out to know in order to weasel information out of him; a guy who caused butterflies the size of moths to start flapping in her stomach, who was opening up and telling her about the siblings he always wanted and she had knowledge of a long lost brother. How had she become the kind of person who not only got into this situation, but did nothing to stop it?

"Hey. You alright? It's not your head is it?"

Shaking her head no, Haley avoided his curious stare and moved to step around his outstretched legs so that she could get herself a much needed glass of cool water, unfortunately, Nathan anticipated her move and when she saw him pull his legs back she distractedly overstepped and tripped, her leg catching his and as he moved forward to steady her Nathan slipped off the sofa to the floor, pulling Haley with him.

"Oomph. Geez, girl. You really do have two left freakin' feet don't you?"

The retort died on her lips as she opened her eyes and found his clear blue orbs gazing straight back at her… or into her, it felt, and suddenly they seemed so close… far too close. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips and snaked out her tongue, nervously tracing them with the tip as was her habit. She could see his gaze following the action and her heart stopped, wondering if he was going to kiss her. That's how it happened in the movies didn't it? Was Nathan Scott going to kiss her – Haley James?

"Whoa! Jesus," Two heads whipped around to find Brooke standing behind the sofa staring down at them with a huge smirk and her hands on her hips, "If I'd known there was a live sex show booked for this afternoon I'd have come home earlier."

Haley's jaw dropped and she was sure her skin was on fire, her face heating up with embarrassment. Scrambling to her knees she closed her eyes taking a deep breath to calm herself but it was then that she realized she was no longer sprawled on top of Nathan, but straddling him instead and she could feel what she was pretty damn sure was his erection nudging her ass. Dear God, she could die of shame… yet she couldn't deny a small part of her was a little proud that she'd managed to turn him on. Her eyes locked with his again and they seemed different, a little darker as he stared up at her.

"Seriously. Take it to your room Tutorgirl. Even I'm not shameless enough to boink in the lounge room… and I'm pretty shameless." Seeing the amusement in her roommate's eyes Haley wondered why everyone had so much fun teasing her.

"I don't know. I'm pretty comfortable here." Nathan joked, his body shaking with laughter which immediately reminded her of their position.

Jumping up from the floor Haley raced to the door needing to get out of there for a moment before she hyperventilated. "I'll go get your top."

She slammed the door behind her only to hear Brooke's laughter rumbling from their suite and she narrowed her eyes swearing she'd pay her 'friend' back later.

A couple of minutes later, a much more composed Haley knocked on the door her of the suite and offered a hesitant smile to Nathan who opened it for her. Biting her lip she held out his now dry and warm shirt.

"Thanks James. I really do appreciate this." He promised her as he tugged the top over his head.

"You're welcome."

He watched her silently for a moment before smiling and reaching to grab his backpack off the counter. "Well, I should probably get going."

"Ok." Part of her was relieved while another part wanted to tell him to stay. Instead she said nothing, not trusting herself not to blurt out something completely embarrassing.

"Thanks for a great day. I had fun."

"Yeah, me too. Thank you for taking me for ice cream. It definitely helped me forget about these stitches."

"No problem." Nathan hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and headed for the door, stopping to turn back to her. "Are you coming to the game on Friday?"

The question took her by surprise. She'd somehow completely forgotten that the season opener was on this weekend and knew it was going to be a big deal. How could she not know, especially with Brooke reminding her every five seconds about how ready the squad was to cheer their asses off?

"Um, I'm not sure." Haley thought she was disappointment in his eyes for a moment and felt bad. She knew how important basketball was to him and now that they were sort of friends she should be supporting him.

"That would be a 'yes' superstar. Tutorgirl will definitely be at the game." The brunette stood in the doorway to her room, hands on her hips as she dared Haley to argue. Haley just rolled her eyes and sighed. Brooke had already threatened to decorate their suite with wall to wall Justin Timberlake posters if she didn't show up to cheer her on. It seemed her roommate didn't quite understand how ridiculous it was for her to cheer for the cheer squad, but nonetheless she'd no doubt give in and do what the other girl wanted.

From the corner of her eye she could see Nathan struggling not smile at them as they performed their own stare-off. Observing the threatening look in her friend's eyes, Haley was hit with a vision of sitting on the sofa, hundreds of pairs of JT eyes watching her every move… and she shuddered. Creepy. It looked as though Brooke would be getting her own personal cheer squad Friday night.

"I'll see you there James."

Haley tried not to grin as he threw a wink her way before exiting the suite. As soon as the door shut she felt Brooke take hold of her arm and drag her over to the sofa to sit beside her.

"Spill! What is going on between you and Superstar?"

Haley swallowed nervously. Brooke seemed to have some magical power that could get the most private person to spill their secrets. She'd seen the other brunette in action when she had somehow conned poor Mouth into telling her his most embarrassing secret. After a few minutes of adamantly declaring he would not say a word, the incredibly persuasive Miss Davis had their confessing all.

She'd never forget him recounting the time he'd dressed up in his Mom's church outfit on a dare from his friend, who had then gone and locked him out of the house. Unfortunately, his elderly neighbor noticed a stranger skulking around the house and doing the neighborly thing, she'd called the cops. Within minutes two police officers arrived and cuffed the 'pervert' lurking around the house; the scene drawing out half the neighborhood who to this day still teased him about his cross dressing ways.

Determined not to fall into the same trap, Haley shook her head innocently. "Nothing. You know what I'm like… I tripped over and we both fell to the floor. Nothing was going on." Haley rambled, her voice high as she tried to convince Brooke to drop the subject.

"Ha! I wasn't born in the last shower Tutorgirl. I know there's something going on. You totally like him."

Haley giggled at Brooke's comment. Sometimes the girl would say the funniest things. "Even if I did like him… and I'm not saying I do" Haley reinforced sternly, "it would not be a good idea."

"Oh, what is so wrong with liking Nathan Scott? He's hot, he's not a moron, he's nice to you, he's hot, he'd be great in bed… and he's hot."

"It just isn't going to happen okay?" Haley sighed dejectedly, thinking about all the reasons there could never be anything more than friendship between her and Nathan. It wasn't just the Lucas issue. He was Nathan Scott. Big man on campus. Girls lasted after him. Guys wanted to be him. She was just plain 'tutorgirl' Haley James. They'd never work. A sinking feeling hit her and she knew it was a bad sign that convincing Brooke of their unsuitability was making her so miserable.

"Um no! Not okay." Brooke scooted closer on the sofa and grabbed Haley by the shoulders, shaking her gently. "I can see it in your eyes exactly why you won't consider a relationship with Nathan and to be honest it's pissing me off! I've known you just over a month and can already see that you are always underestimating yourself Haley James and I'm sick of it. He is not too good for you or out of your league. You're a smart, beautiful and funny girl… possibly too good for him. He'd be lucky to have you. So give me a good reason why it couldn't go somewhere."

"I appreciate the pep talk Brooke, but it's really not necessary. It just wouldn't work. We're too different and it's highly unlikely he even thinks about me that way so let's just forget it.

"Those are excuses, Haley, not reasons. Give me a good reason or I won't stop bugging you on this."

"Brooke. Give it up."

"Nope. Not gonna happen."

"Brooke..." Haley half sighed, half laughed as she took in the look of determination in her friend's eyes.

"Still waiting for a reason."

Standing up, Haley stared down at her friend defiantly. "Your little voodoo-mind-warp tricks may work on Mouth… but not me. Now go… cheer or something." Making shoo-ing motions with her hands, Haley almost chuckled at the way her friend's jaw dropped, obviously shocked at being dismissed. Without giving her a chance to retort, Haley walked into her room, locking the door quickly in case her roommate decided to follow. That girl could be damn persistent.

"This isn't over Denial-girl! You so want jump his bones and I won't stop until I prove it."

Smirking with amusement, Haley pressed play on her stereo and turned the volume up to the highest setting enjoying the thought of Brooke fuming on the other side of her door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the great feedback. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby), Elena (Typokween) and Bec (pinkysupergirl) for all of your comments and suggestions with this update.

* * *

"Let's go Devil's. Let's Go"

This was the fourth game she'd been to since Nathan had invited her to the season opener a month earlier and Haley was still getting used to the deafening cheers of the crowd surrounding filling up the gym. She complained about attending the games regularly to both Brooke and Nathan, but deep down knew she wouldn't come if she didn't want to.

Her roommate loved to think that she was the reason that Haley hauled her butt to the along every week, even the away games, but after the first couple Haley knew she could get away with not showing up without the wrath of a very pissed off Brooke Davis. No, the reason she still attended was the look a certain blue eyed boy would get when she promised to be there. The wink he'd started giving her as he warmed up on the court. The hug he'd give her after the game when the Blue Devils had won… because they hadn't lost a game yet. Nathan Scott. The reason she came to watch a bunch of guys run up and down a court playing a game she couldn't understand was all because of Nathan Scott.

God, just thinking about the boy made her stomach flip and usually brought a smile to her face… something Brooke had taken to calling her 'Nathan face'. She still wouldn't admit how she felt to anyone else, but Haley wasn't so out of touch with her own feelings that she didn't recognize her intense physical attraction to Nathan.

Their friendship still seemed strange to her… or at least the fact that they had a friendship at all, and judging by the looks they received as they walked around campus together, so did the rest of the student body. She could practically hear them whispering 'What is he doing with her?' and had even had random girls approaching to ask if she was his girlfriend or if they were sleeping together. The whole thing made her more than a little uncomfortable.

"Haley, right?"

The brunette was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the distinctive voice of Erica Marsh, a girl from the college paper who Mouth had introduced her to. Her friend seemed to have a major crush on her and so far Haley approved. Erica seemed like a nice enough girl; an attractive blonde who had a husky voice and if you didn't know her could have passed for a cheerleader, but after meeting her once it was easy to see that she was more of an ambitious academic than a socialite.

"Hey Erica. How are you?"

"I'm good. I was sitting further along and just recognized you." She smiled peering over Haley curiously. "So, is Mouth here with you?"

Haley barely contained a smirk, pleased to see that it looked as though Erica might have some feelings for her friend too. "Yeah, why don't you take a seat? He'll be back soon."

The blonde smiled and nodded before they both turned their attention back to the game. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on. Do you?"

Haley chuckled and shook her head ruefully. "My best friend played ball all through high school and I've come to every game this season, but I just don't get it. They run. They bounce the ball. They throw it through the hoop. That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge."

"Mine too… except I'm pretty sure it's called dribbling the ball, Lord only knows why, and they call it a basket, not a hoop."

"Wow. I'm impressed; a girl who knows her basketball. You should be taking notes Hales."

Mouth grinned at Erica as he handed Haley a cup of water, never taking his eyes off the blonde he had a crush on.

"Mouth!" Haley squealed as he tilted her cup to far, a stream of water gushing onto her lap. This just could not be happening!

"Oh God, Hales. I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you clean up." Mouth untied his sweater from around his waist and started dabbing at the wet fabric of her jeans. Haley just watched on mortified, as the people around them turned to see what the fuss was about. Great, now she was the girl who had men feeling her up at basketball games.

Mouth seemed oblivious to the attention he was receiving until he heard Erica's giggles and realized just how bad the whole situation must look. He blushed, wishing that he didn't have a tendency to do that; especially in front of certain blonde journalism major and quickly pulled his hands out of Haley's lap, sending her an apologetic smile.

They were almost at the end of the last quarter and taking a look at her damp crotch, Haley groaned, realizing she should go outside and let her pants dry as much as possible before she met up with Nathan. Mouth had taken the seat on the other side of Erica and deciding they would probably appreciate some time alone, quickly said goodbye and headed out of the gym, her jacket hiding the wet patch which was sure to get more than a few laughs and stares if seen.

Leaning against the outer wall of the gym, Haley thanked God for the warm weather, her pants almost completely dry and the dark denim camouflaging the slight dampness well. She closed her eyes enjoying the night air, the slight breeze a reprieve from the humidity of the people packed gym.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all by herself?"

Haley grimaced really not wanting to deal with some cocky college boy with lame ass pick up lines. "I'm not interested."

"But you've got your eyes closed so you haven't even seen me yet. I've been told I'm irresistible."

"Seriously. Lame. Get some new lines buddy and learn to take a hint... I'm not interest…" The last word died on her lips as Haley opened her eyes to find Lucas smirking at her. "Luke?"

"Hey Hales."

Lucas laughed at the look of astonishment on his best friend's face and opened up his arms for a hug. Recovering from the shock, she quickly grinned widely and threw herself at him, the impact almost sending them toppling over.

"Oh My God. I can't believe you're here. I missed you."

"I missed you too. My plans for tonight fell through and when I called your room earlier Brooke picked up and told me you'd be here. I know I've missed the game but I brought an overnight bag. I thought maybe I could stay and we could spend the day together tomorrow or something."

That did not surprise her at all. She'd found out from both of her friends that they'd been chatting on her webcam occasionally and a couple of times only Brooke had been home when Lucas called for a chat so she knew they'd developed a friendship… if that's what you could call it. All Haley knew was that Brooke kept bugging her to invite Lucas for a visit because apparently 'the boy is fine'.

"That sounds great. I'm so excited that you're here."

The double doors opened behind them and people started spilling out of the gym, the Duke fans talking animatedly about their team's fourth win in a row. It had seemed like a lifetime since she'd seen her best friend and the noise and chatter faded away as they excitedly talked about mundane things they used to discuss every day and completely ignored the world around them.

"Hey sexy."

Haley chuckled and turned to find Brooke sauntering over to them, her eyes alight with mischief as she unashamedly ran her gaze over Lucas, obviously checking him out for the first time in person.

"Brooke." Luke acknowledged with a smirk, liking the attention he was getting from the sexy brunette.

Inwardly cringing as her two friends practically performed eye sex in front of her, Haley heard her name being called, her heart jumping in her chest as she recognized Nathan's voice. Her smile broke out into a grin as she watched him say goodbye to one of his team mates and walk over to her, obviously very pleased with the win. As had become their custom, he stopped a few feet short of her and opened his arms wide awaiting her hug.

Pulling away she smiled up at him. "Good game Nathan."

"Thanks… even though I know you have absolutely no idea whether I played well or not."

"Well… maybe not technically but you are the best player we've got so I know you do well every week."

She watched his eyes light up at the compliment and her stomach flipped, unable to pull her gaze away until she felt so flustered that she couldn't help it. Looking down at her hands, she bit her lip nervously. They spent so much time together now that she'd come to feel really comfortable in his presence, but there were times like now when the atmosphere changed, like an electrical charge ran through the air, and she had no idea if it was because he sensed how she felt about him, or if maybe he felt the same…

Looking back up, she found Nathan glancing over her shoulder with a frown before she felt an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey Hales. You going to introduce us?"

In all her excitement of seeing Luke so unexpectedly and then congratulating Nathan, she had completely forgotten the consequences of her best friend's impromptu visit. She could feel a cold dread wash over her as she quickly glanced between the two boys who were both frowning at each other strangely. This was a nightmare. How could she introduce them when she knew the secret that they were actually brothers? This was no longer simply keeping the truth from them… it was far more serious. She really felt like the lowest form of pond scum at that moment. Haley realized she must have been silent for quite some time when both boys looked at her enquiringly and she felt herself begin to shake. She couldn't do this.

"Luke, Nathan. Nathan, Luke." Brooke introduced the two in what Haley considered an extra chirpy manner. Surely her roommate could see how uncomfortable she was, yet Brooke seemed to revel in the tension, and her theory was confirmed when Brooke winked at her conspiratorially.

"Hey" Nathan nodded but Haley could see he was eyeing Luke warily and not being his usual friendly self. She frowned at him, wondering what on earth was making him act this way.

"Nice to meet you Nathan."

Luke's words sounded friendly enough although his tight smile gave away that he wasn't exactly thrilled with the meeting. He then looked down at his best friend and smiled before kissing her hair and looking back at Nathan with a small smirk; a possessive smirk. Haley couldn't believe it. Lucas never got this territorial around her and usually reserved his disapproval of any boys in her life until they were in private. What the hell was going on?

"Ready to go Hales?"

Seeing the confusion flash across Nathan's face and the questioning look he gave her, Haley grimaced, suddenly remembering that she'd had plans with Nathan tonight. One of his friends from high school was having a party for his birthday and after a little hinting and then begging on Nathan's part she'd agreed to go. Apparently her presence was needed to ward off all the girls who'd been after him… or she'd hazard a guess, had successful had him, in high school.

"James?"

Sighing she turned to Luke and asked if she could have a minute. Brooke quickly grasped the blonde boy's hand and dragged him off leaving Haley and Nathan alone.

"You're not coming." He stated flatly. His voice was emotionless but she could tell by the stiffness in his posture and the way the atmosphere between them had changed from electric to arctic that he was not happy.

"I'm so sorry Nathan. It's just that Luke showed up tonight and I wasn't expecting him…"

"Sure. I get it." He gave her a tight smile. "See you later _Hales_."

She winced at the mocking tone he used when mimicking the nickname Luke had used for her just moments earlier. Before she could even get another word in, Nathan had turned and walked away, a sadness washing over her as she watched him walk away from her. She felt so helpless. Rubbing her hands over her face, Haley closed her eyes for a moment to think. She'd promised to go to the party with Nathan and she hated breaking promises, but she had no idea when she'd be seeing Lucas again and couldn't just disappear when he'd come all this way to see her.

Sighing deeply she opened her eyes, determined to go after Nathan and explain the situation, but her eyes soon narrowed as she saw Becky Townsend approach him, hugging him quickly before placing a hand on his arm as they spoke. She could practically feel the pool of jealousy bubbling in her stomach and she wanted to be sick. She knew she had no right to be jealous, that she and Nathan were only friends and he could see whomever he wanted but it didn't change the fact that she'd love to walk over there, drag away Cheerleader Barbie by her stupid blonde cheerleader hair and cut off the locks she just knew the bitch spent hours grooming every day. By the time Haley was through with her she'd look as bad as the poor dolls her brothers used to take pleasure in destroying during her childhood.

Stepping back into reality from her little fantasy world, Haley saw the two walking to Nathan's car, the blonde turning and looking straight at her with a self-satisfied smirk. Bitch!

But if she were honest, more than the jealousy which felt like acid eating away her insides, Haley felt an overwhelming sense of hurt and disappointment. When she was with Nathan she always felt like she was special, like their friendship meant something to him… but by the way she'd just been replaced for the evening in a matter of minutes she had to wonder if maybe she was being played. After all… it was the question on everyone lips. Just why was Nathan Scott hanging around with Haley James? All of a sudden it wasn't quite so easy to ignore.

* * *

"No. Brooke!" Haley growled glaring at her roommate who was smirking back at her. One night that girl was going to get smothered by her pillow!

"What's going on?"

Haley took a deep breath and smiled at her best friend, looping her arm through his and quickly pulling him down the street. Unfortunately Brooke latched onto his other arm and stopped them in their tracks.

"C'mon Luke. Don't you wanna see where Tutorgirl works?"

Looking between the two girls with a furrowed brow Lucas struggled to understand what was going on. Why on earth would they be arguing about this?

"Of course I do. What's the problem Hales?"

Brooke had been trying to get her to confess to Luke where she was working for weeks now, but even though she'd settled in at Polly's and realized that the people who worked there were nothing like the stereotype she would have pictured… she felt weird having Luke know. The Haley James he knew back in Tree Hill would never have worked in a strip club… or even serving drinks considering she was technically breaking the law as a minor. She was worried he'd be disappointed in her and seeing that disappointment in his eyes would kill her. He was so important to her and therefore his opinion of her meant a lot.

"Nothing I just don't want to hang out where I have to work." Haley said through gritted teeth, still glaring at her friend who seemed to always think she knew what was best for her. First it was doing anything to get a confession about her feelings for Nathan, and now it was telling Luke about her job.

"She's embarrassed. She doesn't want to ruin her 'good girl' image."

Luke turned to her with an amused smirk. "Hales, I know you work in a bar", he watched her gaze flicker over to Brooke, obviously assuming her roommate had spilled the beans. "Brooke didn't say anything. It wasn't hard to figure out; your hours hardly fit in with working at a café do they?"

She sighed realizing that her chances of winning this argument were slim with the two of them against her.

"Hales, I'm not going to think less of you for working in a bar and serving drinks. It's not a big deal" he assured her and chuckling at Brooke's smirk of satisfaction before turning back to his best friend, "It's not one of those stupid 'Coyote Ugly' places is it? You don't have to dance on the bar do you?"

"No," she inwardly winced knowing this was as good as telling a lie, "There's definitely no dancing on the bar."

Brooke stifled a giggle as she watched Haley squirm. She knew she was putting her friend on the spot, but the girl seriously had to lighten up. After her numerous webcam and telephone chats with Lucas, Brooke realized that although he was protective of his friend, something as stupid as working the bar at a strip club was not going to make him angry or think any less of Haley. He'd be shocked and it might take a little getting used to… but it wasn't worth Haley getting stressed about and that was why she was bringing it out into the open. She was bound to incur her room mate's wrath tonight, but Haley would thank her for it later.

"Then why would you think I'd disapprove? You should know better than that Hales." Luke pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around him. She didn't know how to answer but saw Brooke prompting her to say something. Instead she looked away and bit her lip. She really should just tell him because at this point Haley knew they'd be making a stop at Polly's anyway.

Brooke watched her friend procrastinating and scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes. "She works at a strip club!" Brooke exclaimed in exasperation. "There. I said it. It's no big secret anymore so can we please just go in now?"

She felt his body shaking before his laughter hit her ears. He was laughing?

"Nice one Brooke. A strip club? Yeah right." He shook his head in disbelief but his laughter soon stopped when he felt Haley pull away and look at him nervously.

"For real? You're working at a strip club?"

Haley nodded, sucking in a breath and waiting for his outburst to come. "I'll be damned. My Haley James is all grown up.", he chuckled disbelievingly again and grinned like a cheeky little boy, "can you get me a discount on a lap dance?"

"Lucas Eugene Scott!" Haley exclaimed, holding back a giggle as he winced at the use of his middle name, knowing he hated it and would definitely not want Brooke hearing it.

He held up his hands in defense before smirking again. "Well if not a lap dance… how about a stripper's phone number?"

Haley was so relieved that he'd taken the news so well she decided to take back her vow to murder her room mate in her sleep. Maybe Brooke did know what she was talking about occasionally, she conceded.

"Forget it… and the term is 'exotic dancer'".

"So you'll go?" Brooke asked sweetly, hoping that Haley would forget she'd been mad with her, and she smiled when the other girl nodded with a resigned sigh. "And you're not mad at me?"

"Why bother asking? You know I can't stay mad at you for long."

Clapping her hands excitedly, Brooke pushed between the two friends and linked arms with them, practically dragging them down the sidewalk.

Haley wasn't sure how it had happened but she was suddenly feeling that the saying 'two's company, three's a crowd' specifically applied to her. Rather than a night in, catching up with her best friend, Lucas had jumped at Brooke's suggestion of them taking him out for the night. She was happy that her two friends were hitting it off… well, it wasn't hard to see they were more than just hitting it off as friends, but if she'd known they'd spend the night flirting as if she wasn't there then she may as well have gone with Nathan.

Thinking of Nathan gave her a heavy heart. She'd broken a promise to him tonight and knew that he wasn't happy with her. Whether that was because she'd chosen Luke over him, or that he was genuinely hurt and disappointed she'd let him down was anyone's guess… but either way, the look in his eyes and the impersonal way he'd spoken to her tonight was still playing on her mind. Not that it should seeing as though he'd replaced her so easily.

Looking across at Lucas and Brooke with their heads bent close together, laughing at each other's jokes and finding any excuse to touch, Haley could see exactly where this was going and didn't really want to be an unwilling audience member.

"I'm gonna go to the bar. Want anything?"

"No thanks." The pair both responded without so much as glancing her way. She rolled her eyes with good humor at their sickening display and made her way over to the bar where she took a seat at one end as far away from the group of men who were currently located at the other.

"Hey. I was sure I saw you come in before. I thought you had plans tonight."

Smiling at Joe, she leaned across the bar to let him kiss her cheek as he did every time she came to work. Working together a few times a week they'd become friends and even though she got the distinct impression he'd like their friendship to become something more, he'd never pushed it and for that she was grateful. Haley felt comfortable around him and being in a new town and relatively shy with new people, it was great to have another friend.

"What can I say? Couldn't stay away from the place." She joked and accepting the rum and coke he slid her way.

"I'm glad. It's not the same without you Haley." He grinned at her and as she took in his smiling face, Haley wondered what was wrong with her. Joe was gorgeous. He had a real rugged look about him and a body to die for. She still didn't know how old he was but she'd guess about twenty two or twenty three and he definitely looked after himself, she thought as her gaze ran down over his firmly toned biceps. She sighed, frustrated that rather than getting turned on by his great physique, it simply made her think of Nathan running up and down the court, his skin slicked with sweat… or that day in her suite when he'd been shirtless for a few hours. Why couldn't having Joe physically in front of her make her stomach flip the way just a memory of Nathan did? It wasn't fair!

A few more customers came to the bar and he left her alone while he served them, giving her a chance to gather her thoughts. She looked over a few minutes later and realized that the crowed at the bar had grown considerably, so she quickly stood and went around the other side to help out. She almost blushed at the appreciative grin he gave her, but thankfully was able to busy herself with serving drinks as a distraction. The rush lasted almost half an hour although it seemed like only a few minutes. That was the main thing she loved about her job; time flew by so fast that she never got bored.

Haley came out from behind the bar and took the same stool as earlier, accepting another drink. She wasn't going to get drunk, but she wasn't driving either so a few drinks wouldn't hurt.

"So did your friend's leave?"

"No. I thought I'd leave them alone for a while because they're a little… preoccupied tonight," she smirked and chuckled, "with each other. You'd never know Luke was a teenage boy in a strip club; his eyes haven't left Brooke all night."

She looked up and found him watching her intently. "It's not that hard to believe. Some women can make you forget everyone else in a room… even other naked women."

Her breath hitched in her throat. No one had ever said anything like that about her before… and there was no doubting he was talking about her effect on him. Haley was so confused in that moment, her heart swelling at the compliment, but still wishing it had come from someone else. Feeling guilty for not returning his feelings, Haley laughed it off and quickly looked away taking a big gulp of her drink.

"Haley!" She turned to find Candi running over to her, not an easy task in six inch high stilettos, with a big grin. "It's great to see you honey."

"You too. You looked great up there tonight." She was honest in her compliment. She may not appreciate the dancers in quite the same way as most of the patrons, but there was no denying the talent and grace with which they moved. Their bodies were like works of art, simply flawless in the way they moved and expressed themselves. She'd never admit it to Brooke, but she was tempted to take up Candi's offer of dance lessons. Apparently she believed that both girls would be great students, but Haley wouldn't be surprised if Candi only included her in the offer so she wouldn't feel left out. She wasn't confident in her body like Brooke.

The three of them chatted away for a while, stopping occasionally to laugh at some of the more intoxicated customers and their attempts to mimic dance moves. It was one of their favorite things to do to pass the time between busy periods at the bar.

Glancing over at the table she'd left earlier, Haley did a double take when she noticed it empty, no sign of either of her friends. Great. Where the hell were they? Craning her neck, Haley searched the crowd hoping to spot them, unfortunately without luck.

"Are you looking for Brooke and that hot little blonde friend of yours?" Bambi asked as she joined them at the bar, hugging Haley quickly and air kissing her cheeks.

"Um… ew. Please don't refer to Luke as my hot little friend. And never say it to his face… he'll gloat about it for weeks." Haley joked before becoming serious again, "but yes, they do seem to have disappeared. Have you seen them?"

Bambi gave a husky laugh which drew lascivious stares from a couple of men further down the bar. She winked at them before turning back to Haley. "Honey… I think the correct question would be… 'Have they seen me?'"

Haley frowned wondering what she was missing, and why Candi and Joe both seemed to be laughing along with their friend. "What?"

The dancer threw her arm around Haley's shoulder and squeezed her close affectionately. "Oh, Haley. You really are just the sweetest thing. What you're doing working here I'll never know" she joked but then gave her a mock glare "but don't you even think about quitting. Place wouldn't be the same without you."

"Thanks. And don't worry; I have no plan to leave any time soon." Haley noticed Joe smile approvingly and blushed before turning back to Bambi. "Anyways, back to my friends. What did you mean before about them seeing you?"

"Oh that. Um… Jenna and I just gave them lap dances."

At the stunned look on Haley's face her colleagues chuckled, enjoying how innocent she was for someone working in their industry. "You can close your mouth now, Haley." Joe prompted, reaching out and placing a finger under her chin to lift her jaw, but the action felt more intimate like the way a man would tilt your chin before he kissed you. She knew he hadn't intended it that way but from the look in his eyes before he removed his hand she could see it had reminded him of the same thing. If they weren't surrounded by people she could imagine him kissing her right then. The thought sent a shiver down her spine and she closed her eyes at the sensation. But rather than imagining Joe's lips touching hers, they were Nathan's, his strong slightly calloused hands moving from her chin to palm her cheeks. She moaned at the thought practically feeling his soft lips against her own.

Opening her eyes she found three sets of eyes watching her questioningly and she froze. Oh God. She may as well have acted out the fake orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally considering the way they were looking at her. Her face flamed and it felt as though the blush spread from her neck to the roots of her hair.

"Um… so where are they?" Haley asked, referring to Brooke and Lucas, hoping to divert attention from herself.

Bambi giggled and shook her head. "Still in back I'd say. We got half way through and Brooke paid us to leave… said she wanted to finish up Lucas' dance herself."

Haley grimaced at the mental picture and shuddered. She really did not want to think of her room mate gyrating on her best friend's lap. Gross.

Realizing that the two of them would probably spend the rest of the night in some sort of extended foreplay, Haley decided she'd cut her losses and leave. She and Luke could hang out tomorrow. "I'm going to head home guys. Can you let Brooke know so they don't worry about me… that is if they even notice I'm gone."

The girls hugged goodbye and left the bar, Joe asking one of the other waiters to serve while he went with Haley to wait for a cab. "You really don't have to worry, Joe. I'll be fine waiting on my own"

Helping her shrug into her jacket, he shook his head. "No way. I want to make sure you get home safe, okay?"

Haley smiled shyly. "Thanks."

They stood in an awkward silence for a while for the first time ever. They'd always been able to talk comfortably, but there was a tension between them now. She knew he wanted something more from her but she just wasn't sure she could offer it to him. She was grateful when she saw a cab coming up the street and pulling up to the curb. Turning to say goodbye, Haley hadn't realized he was so close and turned straight into his chest, his arms coming out to steady her.

"Sorry." She laughed, looking up to find him staring at her with that intense look from earlier and she gulped, unable to move or say a word. Before she knew what was happening Joe lowered his head and kissed her softly. The kiss was gentle and over almost as soon as it began; before she'd even had a chance to process it or worry if she should respond or not.

"I really like you Haley." He whispered as he pulled away, his eyes searching hers.

The kiss had felt nice, but she knew immediately that the spark wasn't there. After a kiss from a man you wanted you were supposed to feel giddy and have tingles from your fingers down to your toes, but instead she could only feel guilt eating away at her. It was stupid and illogical but she felt as if she'd betrayed Nathan. They weren't even a couple, but in that moment she knew she wanted them to be. It had taken a kiss from another man, but Haley had finally admitted to herself that she wanted to be with Nathan Scott.

"I'm sorry Joe. I really like you and you're a great guy…"

"But…"

"I have feelings for someone else. I'm sorry."

Joe smiled even though she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "Well he's a lucky guy, Haley James. I hope he deserves you."

She couldn't answer that. She spent most of her time thinking about how he was too good for her… but maybe, just maybe they were right for each other. Brooke had been telling her for weeks that Nathan had feelings for her, and half the student body already thought they were sleeping together. Maybe everyone else could see what she'd been denying all along because of her insecurities. Well, she was going to stop thinking she wasn't good enough for him… or anyone else. Obviously Joe saw something special in her, so why couldn't someone Nathan?

"Thank you, Joe." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Friends?"

"You bet" Hugging her quickly, Joe led Haley over to the waiting cab and opened the door, wishing her good night.

On the drove home, Haley smiled to herself. She'd have to speak to Nathan and apologize for letting him down, but also explain why she couldn't abandon her best friend earlier when he'd come especially to visit her. She may never be the type of girl to come out and tell a guy that she wanted him, but Haley was no longer scared of her feelings for Nathan Scott. Starting tomorrow she'd find subtle ways to let him know that she cared for him and if Brooke was right and he did feel the same way, then things would fall into place for them.

After paying the fare, Haley exited the cab and took a deep breath of fresh air feeling unbelievably relieved with the night's revelation. Humming along to herself she strolled through the grounds on the way to her dorms, feeling safe this late at night among the many students still lingering around campus as they usually did on weekends.

"Great game tonight Scott"

Haley smiled when she heard someone mention Nathan's name, but surprised that he was back this early. When he'd asked her to go to the party with him, he'd warned her that they often turned into all-nighters. Her smile soon faded however as she briefly caught a glimpse of Nathan entering his dorm… a certain blonde cheerleader right beside him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the wonderful comments for the last chapter. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) for being an amazing writing buddy and basically saving my ass with this update. I appreciate it hon. A big thanks also to Elena (Typokween) for her advice and to Bec (pinkysupergirl) for beta-ing this update.

* * *

She'd promised herself the rest of the way to her dorm that she would not cry. She would not shed a single tear over Nathan Scott who was obviously not the guy she thought he was. Of course she technically had no right to be mad at him. He had made no commitment to her; to anyone at all. He was a single, eighteen year old and Big Man On Campus to boot. Of course he was going to enjoy all the 'perks' that came with that, including slutty, fake, cheerleading Barbie dolls.

Her resolve lasted until she closed her bedroom door and the first tear rolled down her cheek, followed shortly by another and then another until she was sobbing. Not even bothering to undress even though she knew how uncomfortable it was to sleep in her tight jeans, Haley simply toed off her shoes and crawled onto the bed. Wiping her nose with her sleeve, she almost choked on a laugh of self-disgust. No wonder Nathan wasn't interested. She was a small town nobody who besides being a good student didn't have a hell of a lot to offer him. She wasn't beautiful like Brooke and Becky… not ugly, but not take-your-breath-away stunning like half the girls who threw themselves at him either. She was torturing herself with images of Nathan and Becky together, imagining what they were doing in his suite and wanting to throw up at the thoughts her mind conjured. Thankfully she managed to cry herself to sleep.

"Sshhh. Hales' is probably asleep." Luke whispered as Brooke closed the door a little more forcefully than necessary.

"Good. Then we don't have to be as careful to be quiet."

Luke's eyebrows shot up at the comment, realizing she was inviting him to her bed. He wasn't used to girls being as forward as she was but he wasn't going to deny he liked it. Haley's room mate had surprised him in more ways than one in the last few weeks. She was flirty and sexy… but when they'd talked on the phone he'd found a more serious side to her which was also appealing. Looking at the sexy smirk on her face now he knew he wasn't going to turn her down. He'd been wondering all night how he was going to relieve himself of the physical want she stirred in him, not believing they'd sleep together so soon… although he found he had no doubt it would happen eventually. There was no denying their chemistry.

Brooke kissed him thoroughly before taking him by the hand and leading him to her room. He pulled her to a stop before they reached the door and she looked up at him questioningly.

"I just want to check on Hales. I feel bad for ditching her tonight."

The brunette smiled, impressed with what a good friend Lucas was; impressed with what a good guy he was. She'd not met many of them in her circles. "Okay. I'll be waiting." She purred, running a hand down his chest.

Opening Haley's door slightly, Luke let his eyes adjust to the darkness before he noticed she was curled up on top of the covers and still in the clothes they'd gone out in. He frowned, knowing she hated going to bed smelling like smoke. They often attended the 'all ages' nights at the club 'Tric' in Tree Hill and while Lucas would quickly change and go to bed, Haley had always demanded a shower first, so seeing her like this had him concerned.

Moving into the room, he took a seat on the edge of her bed and switched on the bedside lamp. When he saw the tear tracks on her face, Lucas knew he was right to be worried and reaching out, he pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"Hales. Hales." He whispered, shaking her arm slightly until her eyes fluttered open, red and puffy from crying.

"Luke?" she croaked, still half asleep. Lifting up on her elbows she looked down at her still fully dressed form and frowned before she remembered the events of the evening, her lip trembling as she felt the need to cry once again build up within her.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Haley composed herself and smiled weakly at her best friend, shaking her head. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Don't give me that, Hales. I know when you're upset and you've been crying. Tell me what's wrong."

"Luke, please just drop it."

"No. Did somebody hurt you?"

She knew what he was asking; if someone had physically harmed her and even though she could categorically answer no, nobody had hurt her in that way, her heart was screaming 'yes damn it', Nathan Scott had hurt her badly. Instead of responding, Haley wrapped her arms around her best friend's neck and buried her head in his chest. Nowhere felt safer than in her best friend's arms. Luke would always protect her; always had.

"It's okay. We can talk tomorrow." He whispered, stroking her hair before pulling away and smiling gently. "Why don't you have a shower? You'll sleep better if you do."

Haley nodded, hugging him once more quickly before sliding off the bed and grabbing her sleepwear out of a drawer heading for the shower. Lucas sighed as he watched her leave, wishing he knew what was going on but also knowing not to push. She always talked to him when she was ready… but he'd bet his college tuition money that it had something to do with Nathan. The guy was trouble.

"Hey. What's going on?" Brooke asked from the doorway, her face showing her obvious worry when she saw that Haley wasn't in her room. "Oh God. Hasn't she come home yet?"

Luke stood and walked over to the brunette who looked like she was about to panic. He was glad Haley had someone like Brooke to worry about her when he wasn't around. "She's gone to have a shower. I don't know what's wrong but something's upset her."

Guilt flashed in her eyes and he could swear he noticed a light sheen of tears in her eyes. "We shouldn't have left her alone tonight." she said ruefully then whispered in a horrified tone, "What if something really bad happened?"

Lucas pulled her to him and rubbed his hands up and down her back soothingly. "No. I'm pretty sure it's nothing like that." He shuddered at the thought. Haley was practically a sister to him and his protective streak was strong enough that he felt he'd kill anyone if they'd dared to touch her. "Look, I know we were kind of…"

Brooke stepped back and shook her head. "It's okay. You should stay with Haley tonight. She needs you." Standing on her toes, Brooke leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Good night Lucas. Look after our girl."

He smiled at the girl who was consistently impressing him and watched her leave before settling himself back against the headboard of his best friend's bed waiting for her to return. He'd always hated seeing her upset and now was no different… no, it was worse. At least back home he was there to protect her and comfort her, but now they were at different colleges he couldn't. God, even when he'd been here he'd not been there for her, instead thinking with his 'other brain' and basically ignoring Haley all night.

"Hey. Aren't you in the wrong room loverboy?" Haley teased as she entered her room freshly showered and in comfortable pajama bottoms and a singlet top.

Lucas blushed and chuckled. "Change of plans."

Haley sighed as took a positing next to him on the bed. "You don't need to baby-sit me Luke. I had a bit too much to drink and got overemotional… no big deal."

Lucas knew she was lying to him again, especially because she was looking away as she spoke. He reached out and turned her head to face him. "Wanna try again, Pinocchio?"

Haley giggled at his teasing and knew she would tell him the truth about why she got so upset. It was rare for her to keep anything from her best friend which was why it was so hard keeping this huge secret about Dan and Nathan from him. She went speak but didn't know where to begin.

"Just spit it out Hales."

"It's sort of stupid really. I mean I have no right to be upset. He's never led me to believe he likes me more than his friend…"

Luke sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I assume 'he' is Nathan." Haley nodded. "Okay so what did he do?"

"I was supposed to go to a birthday party with him tonight. He asked me a couple of weeks ago because he knew all the girls from his high school would be there trying to hang off him and I guess he figured if I was there they'd leave him alone." Haley scrunched her nose at the idea. "I don't know why though. I'm not like his usual type and doubt they'd have bought me being anything more than a friend of his."

"Hey, don't do that. Don't put yourself down. I'm only saying this once because as your best friend it's kind of freaky… but you're beautiful Hales. You're actually looking pretty hot lately."

"Okay that was just disturbing... but thanks."

They both laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. There was nothing more than platonic feelings between the two of them and there never would be anything more, but even just admitting the other was attractive felt like saying your sibling was a hottie. It was weird.

"Anyway, I think Nathan got upset that I blew off our plans to hang with you tonight. I wanted to talk to him but he kind of raced off and I saw him getting into his car with Becky, this girl I loathe and I just couldn't stand it, ya know? I guess I was jealous."

Seeing Lucas look a bit uncomfortable she realized he felt bad for showing up without telling her first and she wanted to kick herself for her insensitivity. "I'm not sorry you came Luke. This was the best surprise ever. The timing wasn't the greatest, but if he can't understand that I wanted to spend some time with you then he's not the guy I thought he was… well, I guess I've figured that out anyway" she added sadly.

"I'm glad I came too… but I am sorry that I got so caught up in Brooke that I didn't spend my time with you. That was a jackass thing to do."

"Yeah, it kinda was… but I get it. It's Brooke." They both shook there heads knowing there was no other way to describe the energy around that girl and how you just got pulled into her world without even knowing it.

"So what else happened? I don't see you getting this upset about Nathan taking another girl to a party."

"When I came home tonight I saw him walking into his dorm with her. I highly doubt he took the bimbo home for some intellectual conversation."

"Ha! He doesn't strike me as someone who could hold up his end of an intellectual conversation."

"Luke! He's not stupid. Just because he's on the basketball team doesn't make him a dumb jock."

"He needs a tutor, doesn't he?" Luke said snidely.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I know you know better than to think like that Lucas Eugene Scott!"

"Alright, I'm sorry." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her so that her head rested on his shoulder. "He obviously doesn't deserve you if he can't see what's right in front of him. He's not the only guy out there Hales. Someone else is going to be a lot smarter than him and realized how amazing you are."

Haley blushed a little thinking about Joe and the way he'd looked at her; the things he'd said.

"Hey, what's that blush for?" Luke watched her suspiciously. "There is someone else already isn't there? Jesus, I'm gonna have to move here just organize your social calendar and interview potential dates."

Haley whacked his chest playfully, thankful that he was able lighten the mood. "Joe kissed me tonight."

"Joe? Joe from the bar, Joe?"

Haley nodded waiting for Lucas' rant about how she couldn't date him because he wasn't good enough, but it didn't come.

"I like him."

"Okay… a student at Duke who is actually in my age bracket doesn't get your approval, but the older guy who works at the strip-club does? I will never understand you Lucas."

"I spent a little time chatting with him tonight… and a couple of your dancer friends told me how he watches out for you." Lucas admitted with a grin.

Rolling her eyes Haley shifted so that she was sitting Indian style facing him. "Joe is a great guy Luke and I'm glad that you can see that, but…"

"But…?"

"He's not Nathan." Haley sighed knowing how pathetic she sounded. She could see Luke didn't understand it either but she just couldn't explain all the reasons why she wanted to be with Nathan. "I like him Luke… like I really like him."

"I know Hales." He said softly, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You do? Did Brooke say something?"

"No. She never brought him up; I could see it in your face when you were with him after the game tonight. I recognized the look - I was there for the Paul saga, remember?"

Haley grimaced at her ex-boyfriend's name being mentioned. It wasn't that she was still upset about their break-up; she just couldn't believe how foolish she'd been in that relationship.

"Nathan's nothing like Paul."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." She whispered before looking at her friend. "Is that why you were so weird around him?"

Luke scoffed. "I was not weird around him."

"Luke, you were like a dog marking his territory. I could smell the testosterone… and what the hell was up with you kissing my hair? Only my Dad does that and even then he knows he risks an elbow to the ribs." Haley wrinkled her nose at the memory. She'd been too upset by her conversation with Nathan at the time to think about it, but she remembered it now and was still not sure what Luke had been thinking.

He had the good grace to blush and sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I got overprotective but I just don't like the guy Hales."

It really bothered Haley that the two brothers had taken such an instant dislike to each other. Karen should be telling Luke about his father soon and then she would have to introduce the brothers. It would be nice if they didn't hate each other when they found out the truth. "He's a good guy Luke. If you gave him a chance I think the two of you would be good friends."

He shrugged dismissively. "Maybe."

* * *

A loud clattering noise woke Haley from her sleep and she groaned, wishing she could sleep the day away… or the week… or possibly the next four years so she didn't have to deal with seeing Nathan again. Angry at herself for letting Nathan enter her thoughts, especially after her long talk with Lucas the night before where she'd decided that she needed a Nathan free couple of days to get her shields back up, Haley quickly flopped over onto her back to stare at the ceiling, but as she flung her arm out it came into contact with something hard.

"Ouch! Jesus!"

She'd forgotten that Lucas had stayed with her last night and at the sound of another voice Haley bolted upright, misjudging the space on the mattress and tumbling off the side of the bed, landing gracelessly with a thud.

Immediately the bedroom door flew open and as Luke and Haley both looked over scowling from their current injuries they found two highly amused faces peering in at them.

"Good morning sunshine and sunshine." Brooke greeted in a sing-song voice, further irritating Haley who was currently rubbing her lower back which ached from the fall. She glanced up onto the bed scowling at her best friend, but when she saw him touching his already slightly discolored cheek, her face softened.

"Were you two fighting or did we interrupt something kinky?"

Haley's surprised gaze flew over to Mouth who stood beside her room mate in the doorway, his expression playfully teasing. "You have been spending way too much time with Brooke."

Stepping into the room, Mouth walked over and held out a hand to his friend, helping her up to her feet. "Looks like somebody got out on the wrong side of bed this morning… or should I say fell out?"

Unable to suppress a chuckle, Haley swatted him playfully before he turned to Lucas and extended his hand, the two boys shaking hands and introducing themselves.

"It's nice to meet you man. Brooke's actually told me a lot about you." Luke offered with a smile at the Brunette still leaning against the door. Except for when shaking Mouth's hand, the blonde boy's eyes had barely left her since she'd entered the room.

Mouth groaned audibly. "Don't believe a single word. I do not dance and I do not want to be a cheerleader." He spat out quickly, glaring at Brooke.

Lucas cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well she never actually mentioned anything like that so…"

Mouth blushed, realizing that he'd just admitted to those 'embarrassing' facts himself, and having heard all about the other boy from both Haley and Brooke, he already felt a little inferior in the masculinity department. Looking down at the apron Brooke had given him to wear as they'd prepared breakfast he grimaced, taking in the frills of the faux French Maid style garment. He certainly wasn't helping build an image as a guy's guy.

Deciding to rescue Mouth from his embarrassment, Brooke sauntered over to the bed, leaning down to kiss Lucas good morning. What started out as a soft kiss quickly escalated to something a little more passionate, hungry even, and after sharing a looks of disgust, Haley and Mouth both headed for the door.

"You're washing the sheets when you're done!" Haley shouted over her shoulder, laughing when she saw Lucas pull away embarrassed. This was a new side to his best friend, and seeing Brooke smirk at him he knew the reason for Haley's new found confidence was currently straddling his lap.

"You've created a monster." He joked, shaking his head.

A moment later he heard Haley squeal with delight before she rushed back into her room and pounced onto the bed, tackling Brooke from behind and hugging her fiercely. "I could kiss you right now!"

Her husky laughter rumbling in her chest Brooke winked at Lucas. "I'm sure the boys would have no objection."

"Ew… gross." Haley rolled her eyes before running back out of the room.

"Okay, so maybe she hasn't changed that much then." Luke conceded happily before getting up.

"I'm so jealous of her right now." Brooke purred as she watched a still topless Luke pulling on his jeans over the boxers he'd worn to bed the night before.

"Maybe next time right?"

"Oh, definitely next time." Brooke agreed, bouncing off the bed and running a finger down his chest all the way to the waist band of his boxers, slipping the digit beneath the elastic until she felt him suck in a breath. With a teasing kiss on corner of his mouth, Brooke left the room to join her friends who were currently eating the breakfast she and Mouth had prepared.

Brooke hugged Haley from behind, pleased that her friend's mood seemed to have improved from the night before. She'd had trouble sleeping as she worried over what had caused Haley to get so upset. It was nice to see a smile on the girl's face this morning. "I'm glad you like your breakfast Tutorgirl."

"I love it. You made me smiley face pancakes!" She couldn't contain her grin as Brooke's face lit up with the compliment. Domesticity certainly wasn't one of her room mates strong points, but she knew Haley was upset and cared enough to call Mouth over to help prepare a special breakfast feast… even remembering the smiley face pancakes her dad used to make her every Sunday, something she'd only mentioned in passing when she'd been particularly homesick one day. Leaning back and looking at her friend seriously for a moment, Haley whispered. "Thank you Brookie."

Haley could see her friend assessing her, trying to figure out if she was okay and even though she still felt as though her heart had been crushed, she was determined to put on a brave face. After all, she hadn't revealed her true feelings to anyone except Luke the night before and he'd never betray her confidence, so after he left this afternoon she could claim to Brooke and Mouth that she'd simply had a bit too much to drink and got overly teary.

"I'm okay." She smiled reassuringly.

"Well you can talk to me if you need to. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I do… and I really appreciate it Brooke."

"Same goes for me Hales. I'm always here for you." Mouth offered while still chewing his mouthful of breakfast causing both girls to laugh as he started choking on his food. Luke walked past and slapped him on the back, a piece of half swallowed pancake flying across the counter and landing directly in Brooke's cleavage.

A disgusted gasp tore from her throat, and Haley's laughter increased as she took in the panicked expression on her friend's face. "Oh my God. Get it out! Get it out!"

Nearly falling backwards off her stool, Haley shook her head dismissively… there was no way she was going boob diving for some half chewed piece of pancake. Mouth ran over to his friend to help, but she quickly swatted away his hands, leveling him with a glare.

"You did that on purpose didn't you, Marvin?!"

"What?"

"God… if you wanted me to get the puppies out all you had to do was ask. But no way are you seeing them now!" She huffed, racing around the counter to Lucas who was chuckling away madly just like his best friend.

"Luuuke. Get it out."

By this stage Brooke's voice was near hysterical as she jumped around on her tip-toes waving her hands in the air. Grabbing one of her hands, Luke pulled her towards the bathroom where Haley and Mouth could still hear her little squeals after the door had been shut.

"I live with a drama queen." Haley rolled her eyes and chuckled again when she saw Mouth trying to look contrite, but failing miserably as his lips turned upwards in a smile.

Suddenly the squeals ended and Mouth looked relieved, hoping that his friend would get over it quickly. Judging by the soft moaning noises now coming through the door, he realized she'd gotten over it a lot quicker than expected. He glanced at Haley who had scrunched her nose up, obviously not enjoying the thought of her two friends making out… or worse, in the bathroom.

"It really was an accident." Mouth offered, trying to get her mind off the other couples activities.

"I know." Haley nodded her head.

"But if I'd known all I had to do was ask…" Mouth sighed ruefully, shaking his head obviously thinking about the brunette's offer to bare her breasts for him.

Scoffing loudly, Haley jumped off her stool and swatted the back of his head admonishingly before making her way to her room to get dressed and face the day.

* * *

She'd done it. She'd successfully avoided Nathan all day… although as far as she knew it could have been the other way round. She hadn't seen him at all and they didn't share any classes that day anyway so it really hadn't been difficult not to run in to each other. What had been difficult was organizing to replace herself as his tutor for the day. Nathan probably had no idea that anything was wrong; that he'd hurt her at all. As far as he was concerned she was just a friend and he had every right to bang as many slutty cheer-barbies as he wanted to, so he wouldn't understand why she needed to palm him off to another tutor for their session today to keep her sanity. She knew it was wrong but she just hadn't been able to face telling him and answering the inevitable questions that would have come from it. What if she couldn't hide her emotions and he saw how painful it was simply being his friend… that was a humiliation she could go without.

Adjusting the shoulder strap of her backpack, Haley sighed. She'd been able to wallow nearly all day. That was one of the great things about college, you could go a whole day without actually speaking to anybody and everyone was so wrapped up in their own world that they didn't notice if you looked like your dog just died. Unfortunately she was almost back to the dorms after hiding out at the library for a few hours and she now had to face Brooke who would immediately know something was wrong if she didn't put on the performance of her life.

"Haley!"

Her heart stopped at the sound of Nathan's voice. This could not be happening. She did not want to see him right now; especially when she'd thought she was home free. Maybe if she pretended not to hear him he would go away… or not. She felt his hand clasp around her wrist, turning her around to face him and she could tell by the stormy expression on his face that he was pissed. He was supposed to be in his tutoring session right now and the fact that he wasn't gave her a pretty good idea of how well he'd reacted to the news.

"What the hell is going on? You stop tutoring me and don't even tell me?"

"I did not stop tutoring you. I had to skip one session."

She thought his face softened a little, relief evident but it was obvious he was still mad as hell. "And you didn't think to tell me that yourself? You just let me walk in to the tutor centre to find some guy I don't even know waiting for me."

"I'm sorry Nathan, but Mark is a very good tutor. I'm sure you'd have done great working with him." She knew she sounded stiff and unconvincing but she was no good at this lying thing... funny considering she felt like her life was turning into one big lie.

"I don't care if he's the best tutor on the planet… you're my tutor, Haley."

"You're right. I should have warned you that I had to miss the session."

"Why'd you miss it anyway?" he asked suspiciously.

She knew he was taking this badly, the fact that he kept using her first name instead of 'James' as he'd affectionately called her since they became friends, only pointing it out further. She sighed, wishing she'd used all the time she'd spent avoiding him to think of a valid excuse as to why she wasn't tutoring him today.

"Oh, you know… I just sort of needed time to catch up on a few things because Luke was here all weekend..."

She saw his face soften and a flash concern in his eyes, and knew he was worried that with school, her job at the bar and tutoring she was pushing herself too hard. He'd told her enough and always seemed to turn their tutoring sessions into a pre-dinner thing, buying her food and making it a fun evening rather than 'work'.

"Oh, well it was for Luke… of course. Now I understand." His voice was mocking and dripping in sarcastic malice.

"Hey. Luke is important to me and we only had a couple of days together. You don't have a right to be mad at me for that!" She could feel her blood boiling at his nerve to annoyed with her spending time with Luke instead of him. Who did he think he was? She wasn't the one screwing brainless cheerleaders. "You don't have a right to get mad at anything I do."

She could see her anger and her words had shocked him. Biting her lip to stop from crying Haley looked away unable to hold his gaze. He was being so unreasonable… so nasty and she didn't like this side of him. Why was he determined to drag Luke into this? It was one sure way to get on her bad side.

"And here I thought we were friends. So that's it huh? This Luke guy shows up and suddenly we're not friends anymore?" His lip curled in disgust and the look of disappointment in his eyes almost had her shouting that he had it wrong.

"I never said we weren't friends anymore Nathan... but the way you're acting" she sighed, shaking her head unbelieving that this conversation was actually happening and gestured towards him standing there looking angry and being an ass… a totally hot ass, but an ass all the same, "is not really an incentive to keep our friendship going."

He looked wounded for a moment before the fire came back into his eyes. "What happened to you this weekend? You've changed Haley. This guy turns up and all of a sudden you're ditching me at the game, not showing up for tutoring… and now you act as if you don't care if we're not friends anymore. Is he really worth it?"

"I do want to be friends with you Nathan. I promise you that. But you're making it really hard for me to like you right now. And please keep Luke out of this; it has nothing to do with him." She whispered, not wanting him to think she'd just let their friendship go because her Lucas didn't like him. That wasn't the case and she desperately wanted the two to like each other. God, they were brothers! She would feel so guilty if Luke was blamed for the way she was acting when it had everything to do with the fact that she was struggling with her feelings for him and the fact he didn't want her that way.

She couldn't find her voice, worried that she would either cry or blurt out the humiliating truth that she'd misread his actions to mean he had feelings for her when he probably had a default flirtation setting and she was the only one to misguidedly believe he liked her more than just friends.

"I hope this isn't all for him because…" Shaking his head he looked away and sighed, obviously changing his mind about finishing his sentence. "Look, this is getting us nowhere. I'll see you tomorrow."

There was something in the way he'd looked at her and the hesitation in is voice that had her reaching out and grabbing his arm as he made to walk away. "Wait. What were you going to say?" She knew it was stupid but there was a part of her that really thought he might be about to declare his own feelings for her.

"I was going to say he doesn't deserve anything from you." At her look of confusion, Nathan's face softened for a moment again and he leant closer. Was this it? Was he going to kiss her and tell her Becky didn't mean anything to him, that she was the girl he wanted all along? "He's cheating on you Haley… with Brooke. Don't start throwing away friendships because of him because it seems like you're going to need all the real friends you can get right now."

Huh? His words combined with the fact she was still trying to remain standing while Nathan's face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her lips had Haley's mind struggling to comprehend what he'd told her. He thought Luke was her boyfriend? But that was ridiculous... although it did explain some of his comments. Why would he think Luke was cheating though? He must have seen Brooke and Lucas saying goodbye when he'd left yesterday… and knowing Brooke that would have been some goodbye scene in the parking lot.

"I hope I didn't cross a line telling you this," he said the words softly and she knew he felt bad telling her. Her relief at seeing the Nathan Scott she'd come to know was unbelievable. "but I thought you'd want to know."

Glancing at the bench just a few feet down the path, Haley quickly took a seat and held her head in her hands to stop from getting a headache. How on earth did her life turn into one big circus? She used to have everything figured out. She knew who she was and there was no drama… but now, God, it seemed to be one miscommunication after another. It was ridiculous… and hilarious. She felt herself start to shake with laughter, unable to hold it back.

"James. Aw, James don't cry. He's not worth it."

Nathan offering his sympathies and pulling her into a hug only had her crying harder, tears of laughter flowing down her cheeks. This whole situation was ludicrous. She felt him pull away and his fingers tip her chin up so that she was looking at him, the laughter dying in her throat as she saw how intently he was looking at her.

"You're an amazing girl, James. Luke's an idiot. You deserve so much better than him… and if Brooke wasn't a girl I'd be kicking her ass too."

She couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. God, he may not think of her as anything more than a friend but he really did care about her… putting himself into such an awkward position by telling her about her 'cheating boyfriend' proved it and taking care of her, comforting her and saying the right thing; all of this confirmed her view of him as being a good guy who occasionally let his temper cloud his judgment.

She felt his arms wrap her up in a bear hug and before she knew it she was being pulled across his lap until she was straddling him. If he realized the compromising position they were in and what it would look like to any passers by he didn't show it, instead he simply held her and whispered he was sorry. She knew he meant he was sorry for how he'd acted today and for being the one to break the news, but the way he said it sounded like he felt responsible for her; for her happiness. It was illogical and she was probably reading too much into it, but damn it felt nice to have him care so much.

After a couple of minutes of enjoying their embrace, Haley pulled away and smiled at him. "You're an idiot Scott." She joked affectionately.

He gave her a questioning look and she laughed again, unable to help herself. "What are you laughing at?"

"Luke is not cheating on me with Brooke or anyone else." He was about to object but she put a finger to his lips. "He's not cheating on me because Luke isn't my boyfriend."

"Oh." Nathan's mouth fell open and then a blush crept up his cheeks, something Haley was very pleased to see. He had her blushing so much that it was nice to get her own back occasionally.

"He's my best friend. You remember I told you about him and his mother who owns the café in Tree Hill?"

Nathan shook his head and chuckled. "I remember all of that… except the bit where you told me your best friend has a dick." He deadpanned giving her a pointed look.

Haley blushed profusely at his crass remark before grinning and shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "It's not something I actively think about."

"Good to know." Nathan chuckled, enjoying riling her up.

Haley realized her slip up and blushed again, before flicking his forehead and laughing at the shocked expression on his face.

"Did you just flick me?" he asked with disbelief.

"Yep."

Seeing her smirk, Nathan laughed and clucked his tongue admonishingly. "Oh, you should be worried now."

"I don't think so. I have it on pretty good authority that you don't hit girls."

"Yes. I'm a prince among men." He boasted playfully. "However I'm not averse to torture by other methods."

Haley narrowed her eyes at his smirk, not liking the twinkle in his eye. Suddenly she felt his hands move down and slip under the hem of her shirt, his fingers tickling her sides.

"No. Stop it. I'm ticklish." Haley squealed as she wriggled trying to get out of his grasp. He refused to give in and within a minute or two she was laughing hysterically, not noticing the audience they were attracting.

"Get a room."

The shout brought them both out of their own little world and they froze, Haley biting her lip afraid to look away from him and see who was watching. She knew what this must look like and how much fuel it provided for the gossip mill. The practical thing to do would be to get off his lap, but now that she was thinking clearly she could feel him hard beneath her, not surprising considering she'd been wriggling on his lap just seconds ago. As embarrassing as this position was, she would not embarrass Nathan further by letting the school see him with a hard on.

Haley knew Nathan wasn't usually the type to care what others thought of him and who knows, he might not even care about this either, but she could see a little uncertainty in his eyes. Looking over her shoulder in the direction of where the shout had come from Haley saw a group of students pointing and laughing at them a few feet away. Other than that everyone else seemed content to just walk past.

"Get a life!" she shouted using her most nonchalant tone and staring at them until they looked away and continued walking in the other direction.

"Thanks" Nathan said with a small smile.

Haley smiled back shyly and bit her lip. "Um, do you want me sit here a while?"

She must be the color of a tomato by now she guessed. It wasn't every day you had to ask a guy if he wanted you to keep sitting on his erection!

"Uh… as much as I'd like to say yes," he winked along with his smirk, "we won't be going anywhere at all if you don't move."

It was a throwaway comment from a guy to a girl; nothing special, but damn if her heart didn't flip. He may not have deep feelings for her but he cared about her as a friend and there was no denying he found her attractive… well, two out of three 'aint bad, she thought to herself. She'd been feeling so depressed about her relationship with Nathan, but now she really felt as though everything would be okay. Sure, it would be hard pretending she didn't want more than friendship… but it was worth it if it meant she got to keep him as a friend.

Sliding off his lap carefully, Haley looked away blushing and busied herself with picking up her backpack off the ground and placing it on the chair beside Nathan.

"Don't go all shy James. You're a beautiful girl… and I'm a guy. It's normal."

"I know." She feigned a casualness she didn't feel.

"Uh-huh." Nathan chuckled obviously not believing her for a second.

Grabbing Nathan's bad and shoving it on his lap she smirked. "Oh shut up '_woody_'. Let's get going."


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **The feedback for this story has been amazing. I really appreciate it. I don't know what's going on, but I just can't stop churning out the updates at the moment and I hope it continues for a bit longer. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) whose is a great help with every update and spends so much time assisting me that I feel guilty. Thanks to Bec (pinkythesupergirl) for beta-ing again. It's a bit of a monster chapter so I appreciate your time.

* * *

"It's him, right?"

Haley finished pouring a beer and slid it across the bar before turning to look at Joe. "Who?

Following the direction of his pointed finger Haley found Nathan sitting at a table with his friends, laughing at something one of them had said. She'd almost killed Brooke when the girl had suggested that Nathan visit the club that night. One small part of her worried that while Nathan had always seemed cool with her working at a strip club, the actual reality of it would make him think less of her… and in turn she would think less of him if he couldn't see past the stereotype and realize that the people she worked with were the same as anyone else.

The main issue she had with the invitation though was that she's have to watch Nathan watching her friends on stage, being turned on by her friends and knowing that it was those types of girls, the tall, blond, busty ones like Becky freakin' Townsend who had the power to make him lust after them. To her pleasant surprise, every time she'd glance over at him, which admittedly was quite often, rather than finding him staring at the dancers with lust filled eyes, he'd been talking with friends or even on occasion, had been looking quite bored. Not at this moment though, right now he looked happy and seeing that wide smile and laughter in his eyes brought smile to her face too.

"Yep, I knew it."

"You knew what? What are you talking about?" Haley laughed, perplexed by Joe's cryptic comments.

"Nathan. He's the guy you have feelings for."

Haley froze and felt the blush creep up her cheeks as she averted her eyes from his gaze. Not only did she not openly admit her feeling for Nathan to anyone because it was embarrassing, but it was worse with Joe. They'd managed to get over his confession with minimum awkwardness and he'd been wonderful with making her feel comfortable with their friendship again but discussing her feelings for Nathan with him was not something she wanted to do. It made her feel so guilty.

"It's okay Haley. I told you that I'm fine with it."

Haley nodded, believing him. "Is it really that obvious?" She asked self-consciously. If Joe could see it then how many other people knew? How long until Nathan figured it out?

Putting his arm around her shoulder he hugged her for a moment. "Don't worry about it. It's not that obvious at all; I just knew what I was looking for."

Looking back over at the table, Haley found Nathan watching her with a frown. She'd hoped to be able to spend some more time with him tonight but the bar had been quite busy and she hadn't even had a break yet. She was feeling bad for deserting him all night. Thankfully someone else had just started their shift so she was no longer run off her feet.

"Why don't you take a break? Loverboy's feeling neglected." Joe joked, earning him a swat on the back with a twirled tea towel from Haley.

After pouring a few drinks and placing them on a tray along with some chips and nuts, she pulled off her apron and shoved it under the bar before making her way over to meet Nathan and his friends. She noticed his scowl was gone and he smiled brightly at her as she placed the tray down on the table.

"On the house, guys."

The group of college boys all whooped and toasted her before taking their drinks and digging into the snacks she'd provided.

"Wow. You've made some friends for life now." Nathan joked looking up at her gratefully. She'd not spent much time around his friends. Aside from the party Brooke dragged her to at the beginning of the semester she'd avoided attending any more, so she and Nathan generally spent their time together during tutoring or hanging out at her place.

She'd never even met his room mate because she'd never been to his suite, something that was starting to bother her. It wasn't like he made a big deal of keeping her away, but he seemed to avoid going there with her and always opted to hang out at her place or go somewhere else. Most of the time she didn't really think about it but there where times when it really hurt to think that he'd take someone like Becky to his home, yet for some reason she didn't make the cut.

"You on break Haley? Why don't you sit with us?" Lewis, one of Nathan's team mates asked, grinning widely and not even attempting to hide his thorough perusal of her body.

Everyone added their agreement and asked her to hang out for a while. She glanced around the table and realized there were no chairs available and a quick look at the other tables showed that due to their unbelievably busy evening, Polly's had become standing room only for most.

"You can come sit on my lap baby." Lewis offered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Most of the table laughed at his over the top behavior including Haley who simply shook her head. Before she could even come back with a response she felt Nathan hand wrap around her waist and pull her down onto him.

Feeling embarrassed at the strange looks all of Nathan's friends were sending their way, Haley laughed it off and shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like I got a seat after all."

It took a few minutes for her posture to change from ramrod straight… to a little less ramrod straight. She could feel Nathan jiggling his leg slightly and patting her thigh in time with the music in an attempt to get her to loosen up which eventually she did when she looked at him over her shoulder and he made a stupid face at her, crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out. She giggled loudly, and quickly covered her mouth not wanting all of the guys staring at her, but she needn't have bothered because turning back she found all of their gazes fixed on the stage as Candi began her routine.

Not that she could blame them. She found that there were certain dancers who everyone in the room couldn't take their gazes off. When Candi danced, not a man in the room could look away and she always relished the break in serving at the bar. Most of the time she'd watch right along with the other customers because the movements were so graceful, so seamless that she couldn't help herself. Although the routines were provocative and many of the patrons were wondering if Candi's body moved just as sensually in bed, Haley simply reveled in the beauty of the dance.

Those thoughts soon led to thoughts and remembered dreams of her and a certain blue eyed boy. There were many nights when she'd dreamed of him continuously, waking up with her skin tingling in places as though remembering his touch. She tried to stop the dreams, knowing that it was fruitless to and ultimately more harmful to her emotional health… but she had no control over them. Her body wanted Nathan Scott and she was part excited, part terrified that the dreams would continue until she had him… which was never going to happen of course.

Coming out of her reverie she realized that her line of thought had somehow relaxed her previously tense body and she was leaning back against Nathan's chest, his chin resting on her shoulder. She wondered if he'd noticed, but then again with a naked dancer on stage he wasn't bound to notice much else. She could feel his thumb rubbing softly against the exposed skin of hip in the gap between her pants and her top and rather than move away as she knew she should, she closed her eyes enjoying the sensation. She could have this moment where nobody could see her reaction to Nathan and his touch because nobody was watching. Were they?

Opening her eyes Haley could see everyone still focusing on the stage, clapping as Candi's act came to an end but as she turned her head her eyes locked with Nathan's, their usually cerulean blue color suddenly deeper, darker as she stared at her. She gulped realizing he'd been watching her the whole time and yet the embarrassment didn't come, no it was almost a sense of power that washed over her instead. Here was a guy, in the middle of a strip club with his friends whose eyes were glued to an almost naked writhing woman and he'd not spared the stage a glance. He'd been watching her instead.

"Haley!" Carlos' voice called out signaling the end of her break.

Her boss' voice jolted her out of her thoughts, and she slipped off Nathan's lap, landing on the floor with a thud. Unfortunately it was at that moment that the music stopped and the applause died down, numerous heads turning to where the loud thud had come from.

"James, you okay?" Nathan asked trying not to laugh, already used to her klutziness.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She muttered as she accepted his hand and got up off the floor, rubbing her now tender ass.

"I can rub that for you sweetheart. I could even try to kiss it better for you." Haley threw a glare at the drunk on the table nearby. It was a group of young professionals who frequented the club, only they were more drunk that usual tonight. The guy looked as if he were about to add another comment, but suddenly he looked startled and ducked his head down.

Puzzled, but glad that their unwanted attention seemed to be diverted, Haley shook her head. Turning back to say goodbye to the guys at the table before she went back on duty, she found the reason for the drunk's sudden change of attitude. Nathan was still sending death glares in the guy's direction, the threatening look in his eye something she'd never seen before. It appalled her how much she was turned on by it.

"Tutorgirl!" She'd been wondering when Brooke would show up. Before she'd known that Nathan had invited a group of his own friends, Brooke had promised to come tonight with Mouth so that Nathan wouldn't be alone.

Glancing over Haley's eyes widened with surprise when she saw that not only was Mouth with her but so was Lucas. He wasn't supposed to be visiting for another two weeks, but looking at the easy way her best friend's arm wrapped around Brooke's waist, Haley knew that he had extra incentive to rearrange his plans. She wouldn't lie; she felt a small stab of jealousy that he'd changed his plans to see Brooke, but she knew he wanted to see her too and just she wouldn't hold him acting like a typical horny teenage guy against him. It was something she'd never experience seeing in him, but she was getting used to it.

Her two friends weren't dating; both of them had made that plain, but when she'd tried to figure out exactly what their relationship was Lucas had told her that he didn't feel comfortable putting a label on what they had. A typical Luke answer if she ever heard one and code for 'Fuck Buddies'. When she'd asked Brooke, the brunette had simply shrugged and finished hanging up her new designer dress.

"I like him, he likes me… we both like sex. I guess you could call us Fuck Buddies." And then her room mate had picked up the next of her recent purchases off her bed and gone back to her closet before turning back to Haley.

"Are you sure you never went there?" her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Ew, no Brooke. That's just gross."

Turning around with a smirk Brooke shook her head. "Believe me honey, you are missing out. I swear he totally disproves the whole feet – penis size ratio thingy, because oh my Lord, that boy's love muscle is huge …and his sneakers aren't even that big."

Brooke's use of the words 'love muscle' and the look of sheer awe on her face would have been comical if Haley hadn't feeling her stomach churn.

"I was totally shocked - I mean shocked in a good way, not in an 'Ew, Michael what have you done to your face?' way. Seriously, what red-blooded woman wouldn't be pleasantly surprised to find out her man's packing bratwurst instead of twiggy salami?"

Haley had stood there paralyzed, mouth agape, wishing she could melt her ears off so that she couldn't hear the words spewing forth from her friend's mouth.

Looking thoughtful for a moment Brooke sat on the edge of her bed, obviously pondering her words. "I guess even horny lesbians wouldn't be so impressed… they'd be getting more excited over a big mouth rather than a big wing-wang, don't you think? I haven't thought about it much, but seriously, the question 'Am I going to experiment with girls?' is on every college girl's checklist right along with 'Am I going to do any extra-curricular activities'. I haven't decided on girl on girl thing yet. I'll leave my options open."

"Brooke…" her pleading tone was ignored as her room mate's eyes lit up and she continued as though Haley had never spoken.

"You know who else I bet is packing plenty of sausage? Nathan. If I had to guess, I'd say he's got some bratwurst in his shorts. He'd totally be hung like a…"

"Brooke! Stop! Please."

"Okay okay, don't get your chastity belt in a twist sexual-frustration-girl." Brooke smirked, rolling her eyes before once again turning back to the important job of sorting her new clothing.

"Excuse me while I go throw up." Haley murmured as she headed for the door hoping to erase all memory of their conversation… well, almost all of it. She wouldn't mind thinking a little more about Nathan's…. An idea forming in her head, Haley glanced back over her shoulder as she was leaving the room and casually threw out "and FYI… no need to guess anymore, I'm happy to report Nathan is most definitely packing bratwurst."

Brooke's jaw dropped for a moment before she threw her new top on the floor, scrambling awkwardly over her bed and racing after her room mate.

"Haley James! You get back here now!"

Smirking, Haley remembered how her room mate had stubbornly spent the next half hour banging on her bedroom door demanding an explanation… of course Haley had never caved and given her one, something that still had annoyed Brooke for weeks. She preferred not to think of how her friend would get revenge for holding out on her. At least having Luke around kept her occupied.

"Luke. It's so good to see you." She said as he hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground. "How long have I got before you disappear into the abyss also known as Brooke's bedroom?"

He had the good grace to blush, knowing that he had been a little lax in keeping up his best friend duties lately. He'd been seeing a lot more of Haley with his more frequent visits but he couldn't own to it being quality time. He and Brooke seemed to get completely wrapped up in each other… and her sheets most of the time.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

Haley punched him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm only joking Luke. I don't mind… besides, you keep this one out of my hair so I owe you." Haley joked, earning a gentle shove from Brooke.

After hugging Mouth and quickly catching up with Luke, she pointed them in the direction of Nathan's table, headed back to the bar, but not before noticing Luke's grimace at the mention of Nathan's name. She sighed as she tied her apron strings, wishing she could do something to get the brother's to like each other. Even if there wasn't the added pressure of knowing she was going to be introducing them as brothers some day soon… they both meant a lot to her and she hated them not getting along.

"Why the long face?" Joe asked as placed some coins in the register.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Doesn't have anything to do with two guys trying to stake their claim on you?" she flushed, trying to laugh it off.

"Don't be ridiculous. Luke gets a little overprotective and his defensiveness gets Nathan's back up too. It's got nothing to do with staking a claim, or marking their territory or any other analogy you come up with."

She waited for his retort but it never came so she looked up from where she was wiping the bar and found him watching her, amusement in his eyes.

"What?"

"You're either in denial or blind."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." It wasn't a complete lie. She didn't know exactly what point he was trying to prove and she didn't much want to know, the feeling that it would complicate her already complicated feelings warning her to end the discussion.

"He likes you."

Oh crap. She could not be having this discussion with Joe of all people. Denial… a river in Egypt… also a very current and very dear friend of hers. "Of course he does. He's my best friend. It's like in the contract or something."

"Haley… you know I'm not talking about Lucas."

Putting the cloth down on the bar, Haley surveyed its length to make sure there were no customers waiting before taking a breath and turning to face Joe. "We are friends. We have only ever been friends… and will only ever be friends in the future. Nathan does not like me that way."

Putting his arm around her shoulder and huddling close Joe turned her towards the table where hers and Nathan's friends were sitting, now connected to a second table which had been pulled over to accommodate the new arrivals. "What is going on at that table?"

"Um… everyone is having a good time. They're talking. They're drinking. They're laughing."

"Okay… look again. What's Nathan doing?"

She glanced over again and noticed that he wasn't joining in the laughter; instead he was turned away from the table glaring over at the group of men who'd hassled her earlier. She could see the tension in every line of his body from this distance as he watched the now extremely drunk group cavorting around. It was when she saw one of them pointing towards her and another make humping gestures that she realized she was once again the focus of their attention and obviously Nathan could hear and see everything they were saying.

"That boy is wound so tight he's about to snap… and it's because of you Haley. He may not know it yet, or he might be as in denial as you are about it… but it's a fact. He sees you as more than just a friend."

Before she had a chance to think about any further, she saw the group's attention shift from her over to where Nathan sat, their body language shifting from drunk and rowdy to aggressive. She saw Joe move out from behind the bar, sensing the trouble and watched on as Nathan and one of the other men stood up and began arguing heatedly. To her surprise she saw Lucas stand up, placing a placating arm on Nathan's shoulder but he just shrugged it off, glancing back and snapping at Luke. She could see Joe now, walking up to the other man and talking calmly, but before he could react, the guy's fist shot out and collided with Nathan's jaw, sending him backwards into Luke's chest, Joe holding the other guy back.

Haley shot out from behind the bar, not caring if it was unmanned and racing over to the scene. "Nathan!"

"What the hell were you thinking man? You should have just left it." Lucas accused as he stepped away from the raven haired Scott.

Glaring at Lucas, Nathan shook his head disgustedly "Why don't you just keep your mouth shut… that's what you're good at, right? Just because you don't care enough to step in, doesn't mean I'm gonna stand for that crap okay?"

Haley had no idea what had gone down but seeing her two friends fighting like this was killing her. "Stop it!"

At the sound of her voice the brothers both turned to face her, Luke barely holding his temper, frustration rolling off him in waves and Nathan looking both angry and frustrated. She looked at him questioningly, "What has gotten into you?"

"See what I mean Hales? He's trouble."

Nathan looked up sharply at Lucas before turning his gaze to hers, his eyes filled with both hurt and betrayal. She was lost in his eyes in that moment, barely registering Brooke's gentle voice telling Lucas they should leave.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked, reaching out to touch his already swollen cheek. She inwardly flinched when he jerked away before she could touch him, looking at her as if he'd been betrayed.

"Nathan?" He looked away towards one of his mates and told them he was leaving before walking away from her without a glance. She watched him leave and it took everything in her not to run after him, to demand that he tell her what was wrong… but she couldn't. She hadn't finished her shift, her friends were watching the scene unfold and most of all she knew that Nathan wouldn't tell her when he was angry like this. He could be closed off at the best of times, so she really doubted he'd talk to her until he calmed down. The odd thought occurred to her that even though she'd never seen him this way before, she instinctively knew the best way to handle him. Pushing it aside she ignored everyone's attempts at eye contact and went back to work.

* * *

Carlos had let her go early. It probably had more to do with saving money on broken glasses and drink mix ups than her state of mind, but either way she was glad for the early finish. Brooke, Lucas and Mouth had left not long after Nathan and she was secretly relieved, unable to look at her best friend without disappointment in her eyes. He'd been totally out of line with his comment about Nathan, and the way he'd said it made it sound like the two of them had been having secret little discussions about Nathan's faults. Luke had made several snide comments since their discussion where she'd revealed her feelings about Nathan, and she'd always told him to keep them to himself. She'd tried her best to convince Luke that Nathan had never intentionally hurt her and that he was a good guy, but it seemed that making Haley cry was a crime punishable by death in Lucas' world. She was grateful that he cared, but wished he wouldn't be so stubborn about it.

She hadn't decided that she was going to see him, but found her feet taking her in the direction of his dorm instead of hers and knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she spoke with him. She'd never been to his suite but she knew which number it was and headed up the stairs, hesitating before knocking on the door. She could hear low music coming from the suite and after getting no response, knocked harder.

"Hang on!" She heard his voice and her heart jumped, Haley not knowing if it was relief that he was home or panic that he was home. The door opened and Nathan stood before her in boxers and nothing else. Her throat grew dry.

"Hi." She greeted softly, suddenly more nervous than ever.

"Hi."

He looked puzzled to see her and she realized she'd have to invite herself in. "Can I come in?"

He seemed to get his bearings back and stood back from the door making room for her to pass, unfortunately not enough room that she could squeeze past without touching his shirtless chest. The contact of her breasts, even covered by her bra and top, with his skin had her heart racing.

"Take a seat." He gestured to the sofa, but rather than sitting beside her he sat on a chair opposite, leaving her with a feeling of disappointment. He looked a little edgy and she wondered if maybe her first guess had been right, maybe he did have a girl in his room.

"Look, Haley I'm really sorry about earlier." He said, looking at his feet. I should never have gotten into a fight at the bar and I really hope I didn't put your job in jeopardy."

"You didn't and I'm really not worried about my job right now, I'm worried about you."

He looked up quickly at her comment and studied her face. "I don't know why. I acted like a jackass."

"Yeah, you kind of did." She chuckled, and was pleased when he laughed as well, the tension clearing.

"I promise I won't cause any trouble like that for you again… I just got so mad and…"

"Why? What happened?"

He hesitated, but when she sent him a pleading look he caved. "Those guys were out of line. They'd been making comments about you all night and it sort of built from there."

"Nathan," she sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "there is no short supply of guys like that at the bar. They get drunk and they say stupid things but they almost never cross the line and if they do, they're out… for good. I feel completely safe there."

"I know I should have ignored them and I was, but… I had to say something to them because I was not going to listen to them talking about you that way any more and then I guess I pissed them off and it was on from there."

"Well at least now you look all cool with a black eye." She offered, still not understanding why her brothers and most other guys she knew wore their bruises like medals of honor.

"Yeah." He laughed, wincing slightly. "Would have been nice to get a punch in though."

"Well I'm glad Luke held you back, you could have injured your hand and you need those hands for basketball Nathan."

At the mention of Lucas' name she saw his smile fade and knew that it had to be discussed. "Look. I'm really sorry about what Luke said tonight. He was out of line."

"Is that what you think of me? That I'm trouble?"

"No! God no, I don't think that at all. Luke's just overprotective and after a bad experience with my ex he doesn't trust any guys near me even just friends."

"What about Mouth?" his lip quirked upwards and she knew she'd appeased him.

"Mouth is Mouth. Brooke's more of a threat." She could see his mind working again and stood up to sit on the coffee table directly in front of him, her hand covering his on his knee. "I don't think of you as a threat or as trouble or anything else. I promise."

He sighed. "Okay. Sorry, it's just something that gets to me… someone else used to say that about me all the time and I guess I'm still touchy."

She knew immediately he was talking about his father. She didn't know how she knew, but she just did. "Well he was wrong."

Nathan smiled at her and stood from his chair, as scrap of material falling to the floor. Haley leaned forward to grab it and found herself holding a lacy thong. Looking between the underwear and Nathan's barely clothed body she shuddered.

"I guess you are feeling better." Haley commented, wondering how the words escaped her when she felt like she was choking. Was there a girl in his room right now? Was Becky here? It really didn't take him long.

"Oh. That's not mine." Nathan quickly jumps into a denial.

Even though Haley was upset by the prospect of him sleeping with another girl on that very couch she was sitting on, she knew she had to play it off as a joke. She'd cry otherwise.

"Really? Because this shade of red is totally your color." Her voice trembled a little towards the end but she hoped he didn't notice.

He was about to speak, but she put up her hand to silence him. Closing her eyes to concentrate on the sound she'd just heard, they soon flew open when she realized what it was; soft moaning noises that were becoming louder every second followed by the distinct squeak of bed springs.

There was an awkward silence between them for a moment and she could tell he was embarrassed she had to listen to this in his suite, but as she realized that his room mate had a girl in his room, the heaviness of wondering if Nathan was alone and if the underwear belonged to possible girl was lifted from her shoulders and suddenly the whole situation was hilarious. She couldn't contain her giggles and before long he was chuckling along with her.

"Oh yeah. Tell me I'm big. Tell me how huge I am baby."

Haley covered her mouth to prevent a gasp of disbelief and glanced up at Nathan whose expression was part amused part horrified. Then a shrill female voice began making sounds that Haley swore were worse than nails on a blackboard and she grimaced.

"How do you put up with that? She sounds like a freakin' banshee!"

"You can barely hear it from my room with the door closed… and some music on." He muttered. She could see he was embarrassed by the situation and realized that this was why he never invited her over here. It was hardly a comfortable environment for study or to hang out. Deciding she needed to lighten the mood before it got awkward again she stood, placing her hands on her hips in faux defensiveness. "Are you trying to lure me into your bedroom Scott?"

Nathan looked up sharply to find her struggling to keep a straight face and he smiled. Before she even though about it she quickly asked. "Why don't you crash at my place tonight… at least Brooke and Lucas don't sound like rabid animals."

Nathan looked at her thoughtfully for a moment but then shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea with Luke there. He really doesn't like me."

"Well Lucas can learn to deal with it. You're both my friends and I'm not going to stop having you over whenever he's here."

She could see by the quick grin that he was very pleased with her answer, obviously feeling less worried that she would be forced to choose between them. "I really appreciate the offer but after tonight I'd rather not deal with hostility in the morning." She was disappointed but understood where he was coming from and nodded her head. "But you could stay here..."

She bit her lip, suddenly very nervous and feeling like a shy virgin as she hesitating asking what she needed to know. He'd never stayed over at her place before, not even on the couch and even though she trusted him not to use her, he was a teenage college boy.

"When you say stay… what, what do you mean?" she stuttered nervously.

He seemed to be assessing her before answering neutrally "Well I figured maybe we could give the rabbits a run for their money. Are you a screamer?"

Her eyes widened like saucers and she opened her mouth several times to speak, but no words came out. It wasn't until she saw him smirking mischievously that she realized he'd been joking. "You're too easy, James… and before you get your cute lace panties in a knot, I mean you're easy to tease."

"You're mean!" she pouted hiding a smile, stupidly pleased that he seemed to remember her panties from his first visit to her suite.

"Sorry." He shrugged, obviously not in the least remorseful about his teasing. "But really, do you want to stay? Just to sleep of course… but we'd have to share the bed. I highly doubt you want to be stuck out here on the sofa in case you're subjected to my room mate strolling out here in the buff. It's seriously damaging." He shuddered with exaggeration.

"Ew… he really walks around naked… even when you're here?"

Nathan grimaced. "I'm trying to house train him, but no luck so far." He chuckled for a moment and then looked serious again. "Think of it this way. You can listen to the rabbits going for it here… or Brooke and Lucas at your place…"

She scrunched up her nose at the thought of her two friends. He kind of had a point. Her fears of spending a night in Nathan's room, in Nathan's bed were matched with her joy at the prospect. What would it be like to share a bed with him? It was nothing like what she dreamed about, but it was still intimate and even though she knew it was only going to make things harder on herself in the long run she couldn't pass it up.

He noticed her hesitation and added with a cheeky grin "I've got skittles."

She returned the grin, pleased by how eager he was to have her around… and that he'd bought her favorite candy even though he didn't like them. Perhaps he'd planned to have her over at some point or was going to give them to her as a surprise.

"Skittles?"

"I know. Shocker! But I saw them when I was buying my M&M stash and I thought of you so…" he shrugged before glaring at her mockingly "and if you even think about telling the guys about my M&M addiction there'll be hell to pay" He joked, having already been teased by Haley before about his obsession with the chocolate candy.

Her heart flipped and she knew she should be heading for the door, leaving his suite before she completely fell for this amazing guy who was defending her honor, comforting her when she was down and buying her favorite candy when he hated it. Her heart was in serious danger of being broken in the future.

"Snacks are in the pantry. Why don't you grab them while I quickly tidy my room? I'll be out in a sec."

Haley nodded and headed to the pantry, not surprised to see it full of chips and sweets but bare of anything with any real nutritional value. She shook her head and wondered if Nathan would die of malnutrition without the meals she fed him a few times a week. Boys were hopeless. It also reminded her to make sure Luke was eating properly. That boy was a great cook, but she also knew he was lazy.

"Oh. Hi there."

Haley spun around dropping the packets of candy and raising a hand to her chest, her heart racing.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She still had trouble speaking and the stranger looked over at Nathan's door and then back to Haley. "Are you here with Nathan?"

She nodded, worried her voice would squeak, but it was no longer from shock, she was busy trying to avert her gaze from this guy's naked body. Obviously he'd thought the suite was empty and hadn't bothered putting clothes on.

"Jesus, Damien. Put some fucking clothes on." Nathan called as he came out of his room, now wearing a wife beater with his boxers.

"Sorry, man. I didn't know you had company." He exclaimed before muttering… "It's not like it's a normal occurrence."

Haley was still looking away from Nathan's room mate, her face hot with embarrassment. It's not like she'd never seen a naked body before, but she wasn't in the habit of looking at strange men in the buff.

"Damien!" Nathan scolded as his room mate continued to look between him and Haley curiously.

"Sorry." He quickly reached out and grabbed a tea towel off the bench placing it in front of him, then reached out a hand to Haley. "It's nice to meet you."

Haley stared at the offered hand and took a step back, right into Nathan.

"Haley this is Damien. Damien, Haley… and put that damn hand away man. I don't even wanna think about where it's been."

Haley shuddered at the thought and feeling slightly rude, gave Damien a smile and a shy wave of acknowledgement.

Smirking, Damien winked at Nathan and asked "So you're off to Haley's then?"

"No."

His room mate's face fell for a moment. "Damn. I was hoping we wouldn't have to keep being quiet." With that he raced back into his room, his white ass flashing them as he went.

Haley looked up and saw Nathan shaking his head and it reminded her of the way her father would react when one of her siblings was pushing him to the point of exasperation. She grabbed the dropped packages off the floor and followed Nathan into his room, the sound of moaning and bed springs reaching her ears before they even got to Nathan's door.

"That's what they consider quiet?" she whispered with disbelief.

* * *

"Sorry I don't have anything better for you." Nathan said as Haley came back from the bathroom dressed in one of his t-shirts that fell almost to her knees and a pair of shorts which she'd had to roll at the waist several times to stop from falling down.

"It's ok. These are comfy." She shrugged before placing her folded clothes in a pile on the floor. She'd been so uncomfortable when they'd first come into his room. Being in the bedroom of a guy you liked was nerve-wracking at the best of times but it certainly didn't help when you both knew what was happening in the other bedroom. But once they'd gotten talking, she'd relaxed completely and time had flown by until they'd realized it was nearly three o'clock in the morning and they needed to get some sleep.

Looking at the bed now, which they'd been sitting and laying on for hours, she suddenly wondered how many other girls had slept in it… or not slept in it with Nathan. She knew she had no right to be jealous, but the thought of him with another girl made her want to throw up, so she quickly pushed away the thoughts and determined to make this as non-weird as possible she threw back the covers and scooted underneath.

Nathan was already in bed, lying on his side and she could feel him watching her with a smirk, obviously sensing how awkward she felt, but she just couldn't get up the courage to look at him. There she was lying stiff as a board on her back, staring at the ceiling when in all honestly she'd rather be cuddled up to him, feeling his warmth surround her as he held her close. It would be different to Lucas' cuddles which were always like hugging her brothers… no, snuggling with Nathan would be different. His hard body against her soft curves, his Nathan scent filling her nostrils and any skin on skin contact would leave her tingling for hours.

Feeling her face flush, Haley quickly rolled over facing away from him, praying he hadn't seen her reaction to her thoughts. Surely he'd know what she'd been thinking.

"James?"

"Yeah?" she croaked, her whole body still tense.

"Relax will you? I'm sure you wouldn't be this uptight around Lucas."

She almost laughed at the comparison… as if lying next to Nathan was anything like lying next to her best friend. He really had no idea and for that she was thankful.

"Sorry. I'm being weird." She joked, trying not to let her embarrassment at her behavior show. If Brooke could see her now she would laugh her ass off before giving her a stern lecture on not being afraid of her sexuality. Unfortunately Brooke's way of dealing with sexual tension was to simply 'get it on'… and it wasn't really an option for Haley.

"Hey, it's ok. Strange place, strange room… strange guy." Nathan said in a hilariously creepy voice which had Haley giggling. He continued speaking in that same voice, saying random things and generally being an idiot and within minutes Haley was relaxed and trying not to cry from laughter.

"That's better." He whispered before joking, "Now you won't be walking like an arthritis ridden granny tomorrow."

She kicked out at him playfully, shoving his feel with her own. "Hey… am I going to have to restrain you?" he growled.

Sooo not the right thing to say, Haley thought as visions of him pinning her to the bed filled her mind. God, she needed to get laid… either that or therapy. She wasn't sure how long she was lost in thought, but the CD that had been playing ended and she realized with immense gratitude that Damien and his 'friend' must have gone to sleep. She hadn't felt Nathan move in a long time and his breathing seemed pretty even so gathered he'd gone to sleep. If only she could do the same she thought, sighing.

It couldn't have been more than a few minutes later that she felt him move, the mattress dipping causing her to slide backwards into Nathan's chest. She froze for a moment, terrified he'd wake up and think she'd moved on purpose. Suddenly she felt a heavy weight on her hip and realized he'd draped his arm over her. Holding her breath, Haley struggled with the decision of enjoying the contact… because damn it felt good, or gently lifting his arm and slipping away.

"I can hear you thinking James. Just go to sleep." His husky voice muttered, pulling her back so that he was spooning her.

The first wave of shock wore off and she realized that somehow her body had relaxed against him, almost as though it knew what she wanted and overrode her mind's anxiety. Screw it! She was going to enjoy it. She'd probably regret this later when she lay in her own bed alone and missing the feel of him behind her… but that was later and this was now. Now she was going to enjoy it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **I can't thank you all enough for your great feedback. It's been wonderful. Thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) for her amazing support and assistance. Without her encouragement this story never would have been started. I highly recommend you check out her hilarious fic _**'Confessions of a Frustrated Perfectionist'**_. Thanks also to Kris who let me 'spoil' her a little bit when I needed some advice. Thanks to Ashley (JLlover0055) for beta-ing this update for me at such short notice.

* * *

Hearing the timid knock Haley placed the last throw pillow on the bed and made her way over to the bedroom door, quirking an eyebrow as she got closer and heard whispering on the other side. Swinging it open suddenly she startled Brooke who had had her ear plastered to the door, the brunette stumbling backwards and landing on her ass. At the sound of chuckling, both girls turned to Mouth who was sitting on the sofa unable to hide his amusement at the situation. It seemed like he'd become a permanent feature in their living area. 

"Shut it or I'll tell Erica that you slept with your GI Joe doll until you were twelve." Brooke growled, smirking when the boy's eyes widened and he promptly focused his attention back on the television.

"Brooke, what were you doing?"

Wanting to avoid explaining herself, the brunette quickly changed the subject. "Where's Nathan? Didn't he stay over again last night?"

"Oh, he left already. He had an early practice… Is that why you were listening at my door?"

"Well I didn't want to interrupt anything…"

"Like what? My very important task of making the bed?"

"Ha ha, very funny Tutorgirl. I mean more like some coitus interruptus."

Haley's eyebrows rose almost to her hairline. "How is it that you even know what that means? You once told me that behind chemistry, Latin is the most useless subject ever taught in the schooling system… and only because they don't force you to wear ugly goggle glasses that mess up your hair." Haley mimicked her friend using finger quotes.

"It's related to sex… of course I know what it means."

Mouth chortled behind them but quickly shut his mouth under the heat of Brooke's withering glare. Haley suppressed a grin when she saw him poking his tongue out at her friend's back.

"Anyways, I know superstar's been sleeping over lately and I just didn't want to accidentally walk in on something I don't wanna see… no scrap that – something you don't want me to see because I think I'd pay money to see the two of you get it on"

Shaking her head in frustration Haley moved forward and placed her hands on her room mate's shoulders forcefully.

"Okay. I'm going to say this once more… and once more only. Nathan. And. I. Are. Friends. We're not sleeping together."

"Yeah… well that's kind of the point. I doubt there's much sleep going on when he's staying over." Brooke winked and licked her lips lasciviously.

Throwing her hands up in the air Haley marched over to the kitchen counter and began making herself a coffee. "Argh! I give up! Fine, you're right. Nathan and I have been doing the horizontal mambo, mating like bunnies..."

"Um… Hales." Brooke tried to cut her friend's rant short but Haley just kept going.

"boinking our brains out. I don't know how I'm still walking because seriously… we have enough sex to keep Trojan in business for years."

The deep sound of a voice clearing had Haley's eyes widening and her jaw dropping as she turned around to find Nathan standing in the open doorway practically choking back his laughter.

"Oh God. I knew I shouldn't have given you a key." She groaned, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, annoyed with herself for forgetting she'd given him a spare key a few days earlier and that he'd mentioned to her he'd be back after practice with some bagels, something which had failed to really sink in when she'd been half asleep. Her eyes were locked with Nathan's and she just couldn't look away. Thankfully he seemed greatly amused by her comments rather than annoyed.

"Ooh. Did you bring breakfast?" Brooke asked excitedly eyeing the bag in Nathan's hand, practically salivating at the thought of a cream cheese bagel.

"Sorry, Brooke… no bagels, just today's supply of Trojans." Nathan joked hoisting the large paper bag up in front of him.

"Give me those." Haley ordered in a huff, grabbing the bag out of his hands. "And not one word from you Davis or you're not getting any bagels."

Brooke pouted for all of ten seconds, finding it difficult to hold back the teasing remarks that desperately wanted to be liberated, before clapping her hands excitedly and racing over to snatch one of the bagels off of the plate Haley was placing them on. Taking a huge bite, she moaned dramatically before grabbing another, handing it to Mouth and dragging him out the door with a mumbled goodbye.

"Hi."

"Hi"

The room was silent for a moment before both of them burst out laughing. "You are like bad luck to me, Nathan Scott. It is impossible for me to be cool when you're within ten feet of me."

"I doubt it's got anything to do with me." Nathan laughed, earning himself a whack on the arm. "The way I see it, Haley James wouldn't be Haley James without a few klutzy moments and embarrassing rambles to make up part of her day."

"Jeez… you really know how to pay a girl a compliment, Scott." Haley sighed dramatically. "It's not very gentlemanly to kick a girl when she's down."

"Oh, stop being dramatic." He laughed, pulling her into a hug. "You're spending way too much time with Brooke."

She laughed along with him, enjoying the feel of his chest rumbling beneath her cheek. Standing back and placing his hands on her cheeks, Nathan smiled. "Besides, I wouldn't want you any other way, I think it's endearing."

"Well that's a first." she chuckled looking away as the blush returned to her cheeks.

"You're beautiful when you blush."

Haley's gaze flew back up to meet his as the laughter died in her throat; the soft way he'd uttered those words making her heart stop and then she saw him looking at her, all trace of humor gone and she felt as though she were in a movie. They'd been sleeping in the same bed nearly every night for the past week, his arm draped over her waist as he spooned her from behind and it had become so comfortable; their closeness had become comfortable, so much so that her friends had commented that they looked more like a couple than simply good friends. So how was it that she could feel so at ease with him most of the time, but then in moments like these she was on edge, her heart hammering in her chest, blood rushing in her ears as her mind raced asking that same damn question? Was he going to kiss her?

"Hey! Look who I found." Brooke announced happily as she barged back through the door with Lucas in tow.

Haley jumped back from Nathan, trying to tamp down the feeling of guilt as she watched Lucas eyeing the two of them warily. They hadn't done anything wrong… and even if they had kissed it wouldn't be anything her best friend had a right to be upset about. What was she talking about? _'If they had kissed?'_ Puh-lease. As she watched Nathan scrambling to gather his bag off the floor as if he couldn't get away from her fast enough, she knew that possibility had been a figment of her imagination. He'd probably seen her brain processing the thought and was now thanking God for her friend's interruption.

"Sorry, I can't stay. Enjoy the bagels and I'll catch you in class tomorrow." Nathan said before closing the door behind him.

Brooke smirked with a glimmer in her eye. "Well at least it was only breakfast interruptus and not coitus interruptus."

Luke's jaw dropped and he went to speak but Haley put her hand up. "Don't even ask."

Raising his own hands in defense, Luke grabbed the keys he'd placed on the counter. "I'm just going to go get my bag before my head gets bitten off."

"Um… didn't you have plans with Mouth today?" she asked Brooke after the door closed behind him.

Her friend had the grace to look a little guilty before shrugging her shoulders. "He understands. I only get to see Luke once a week if I'm lucky… although he'll definitely be getting in trouble for arriving four hours early and just expecting me to be available. It's not like I'm on booty call or anything."

Haley was surprised to hear a little defensiveness creep into her room mate's tone. "This is starting to look suspiciously like a relationship Brooke. Are you sure you're still just fooling around?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm positive. That's the point Hales… the fooling around is so good that we're spending as much time doing it as possible… so to speak."

Haley wrinkled her nose at the images the statement evoked.

"Besides, Miss 'We're just friends', you should understand what it's like for people to look too much into a relationship."

Haley chuckled and asked sweetly. "Yes. It's annoying when people make assumptions isn't it?"

"Alright. Point taken."

The girls sat at the counter each munching on a bagel, Haley teasing Brooke about turning into a porker for eating two that morning. It was almost fifteen minutes later before Lucas came back, his hands suspiciously empty.

"I thought you were getting your bag." She asked doubtfully

"Oh… um, well I ran into someone I knew from home and got caught talking for a while and then realized I didn't really need anything from my bag right now. I'll grab it later."

"Cool. Who did you see from home? There aren't many Tree Hill Students attending Duke."

He looked around nervously for a moment before a sickening thought dawned on her. "Oh no. Please tell me you didn't run out of here to talk to Nathan."

"Um… well I could tell you that, but it would be a lie." Luke responded with what he hoped was an adorable grin.

"Luke!" Brooke admonished. "You said you were going to stay out of it."

Haley was surprised to hear that Brooke had asked Lucas to back off when it came to Nathan; surprised but eternally grateful for the support.

"You promised after the scene at the bar last week that you would give him a break and stay out of my business." Haley said in frustration, remembering the talk she'd had with him after spending the night at Nathan's. She'd expected him to be breathing fire when she came home the next morning but he'd been calm and reasonable, Haley assuming that a night with Brooke had taken him out of his bad mood… but now she had to wonder if maybe Brooke had to have a talk with him about it. The girl might drive her a little crazy sometimes but it was things like that which made up for it.

"I know and I did. I just wanted to apologize to him for last week. I don't like the thought of you avoiding your own home because you're worried about Nathan and I being in the same room. We're best friends Hales and it shouldn't be like that."

His words were sincere and she knew he hated them not being comfortable around each other as much as she did… but she had a feeling there was something he wasn't telling her, and for the sake of her friendship with Nathan she hoped it wasn't bad. She'd probably already done enough damage herself this morning.

"Okay… but I swear if you said anything to him Lucas Eugene Scott, so help me God I'll kill you." She threatened, but a hint of a smile on her lips took the edge off the words.

* * *

"James!" 

Smiling like she usually did upon hearing his voice Haley stopped and turned waiting for Nathan to catch up with her. She'd been a little nervous about seeing him today after the way he'd run out of her place, and she still didn't trust that Luke had just wanted to clear the air with him when he spoke to Nathan the day before, but Nathan seemed to be acting normally so she figured her best bet was to follow his lead. Catching up with her, Nathan casually threw his arm around her shoulders and they kept on walking down the hallway towards their first class which they shared. Haley couldn't help noticing that this was probably what Brooke and Mouth meant when they said the two of them looked more like a couple than friends. She wouldn't let herself become uncomfortable though. She didn't need things being weird between her and Nathan.

"You're very chirpy this morning. What's going on?"

"What? I can't be happy to see you?"

Glancing to her right and giving him a pointed look, Haley waited for him to spill the beans. "If that's your story… although I'm sure it's something much more life altering like… oh I know, you found a new bunch of freshman groupies to join the 'I love Nathan' club?"

"Cute," he quipped sarcastically and ruffled her hair, promptly earning himself an elbow to the ribs. "Ow. Everyone thinks you're such an angel James… but I know the truth. You're just a bully."

She scoffed in response, but reached out and gently rubbed his side where he'd taken the blow, realizing she did have a tendency to elbow him there a lot. The guy was probably lucky he didn't have permanent bruising. Somehow her fingers had managed to slip under his top and she felt his warm skin against hers and she quickly decided not to flinch away because it would be against her plan to keep things from getting weird, Haley felt his whole body tense and looking up she found him closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and taking a deep breath. Had she really hurt him this time?

Casually removing her hand she offered an apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's cool." He shrugged, looking as though he was trying for nonchalance but she could tell he was acting weird. He was avoiding her gaze, something he never did… that was her job during awkward moments. Their relationship had changed since that night she'd stayed with him and they only seemed to have gotten closer in the following week, but having him act so weird right now was starting to worry her that he'd realized the depth of her feelings for him and that he was uncomfortable because of them.

"So why _are_ you so happy?" she asked trying to clear the sudden tension.

A loud voice shouted from behind them "Only two reasons for a man to be happy at this damn ungodly hour… my man Nate either won the lottery last night… or he got laid."

Haley flinched at the comment and automatically shirked Nathan's arm off her shoulder. She knew it was stupid to let it affect her, but the possibility that Nathan had slept with someone last night stung. They'd spent nearly every minute of every day together over the past week, Nathan staying over at her suite most nights to escape his bare-assed room mate and his nymphomaniac girlfriend. She'd had so much trouble sleeping without him and had found herself wondering if Nathan had already become as accustomed to their sharing a bed as she had. Thinking of him in bed with someone else; holding them… God that was worse than thinking of him having sex with them. She wondered how she'd get through everyday when Nathan did find himself a girlfriend. Hiding her feelings was hard enough now when it was just the two of them being friends… how hard would it be seeing him with another girl?

Nathan looked at her apologetically and turned to face his team mate with a glare. "Don't start that crap again Lewis. Haley's not like that."

This statement caught her attention and pulled her from her thoughts to watch on with interest. She's not like what? Not the kind of girl he'd have sex with? Well… considering they'd shared a bed several nights this week and he'd not once tried anything with her, maybe that's exactly what he meant. She had to stop thinking like that. They were friends. Friends don't sleep with friends.

"Oh c'mon man. Everyone on campus knows you been sleeping at her place this week… look me in the eye and tell me you're not tapping that fine, fine ass." Lewis said with a grin as he leered at her body.

Haley flushed realizing that the comment hadn't been implying Nathan had slept with some other girl… it was that he'd slept with her. She didn't know why it hadn't occurred to her considering the rumors about the two of them which had run rife in the beginning but it seemed like everyone had accepted their friendship and had given up on insisting they were sleeping together. She was embarrassed by Lewis' comment but there would be no point in denying that it made her feel a little better to know that people didn't think it was completely preposterous that Nathan would be with her, even if maybe he did.

Thankfully before a stupid self-satisfied smile could brake out on her face, Haley was shocked to find Nathan stepping up to his friend menacingly.

"Don't talk about her like that… and if I see you looking at her ass… or any other part of her for that matter, be prepared for your name to be added to the injury list this week. You got me?"

"Nathan." Haley called out softly, placing a hand on his arm. She had no idea what had gotten into him but he was drawing a crowd. She knew he liked Lewis and would hate for this one stupid incident to put his friendship in jeopardy. They were team mates and after talking with him at length recently about the game and the team, he knew that it was important for them to get along.

"Alright. Calm down man." Lewis looked genuinely shocked by Nathan's outburst and quickly turned to Haley with genuine remorse in his eyes. "I'm sorry Haley. I didn't mean nothin' by it."

She smiled and nodded her head. She may not be a fan of the sleazy, women are sex objects commentary she'd come to expect from him, but she knew Lewis wasn't a bad guy and was mostly all talk. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

The guys shook hands quickly and Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and quickly walked down the hall ignoring the curious stares they were getting. Finally he pulled her into their classroom and up the steps to the seats they sat in each week.

"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" she asked as he put his backpack down and began taking out his books like nothing had happened.

"Nothing." He denied pretending to busy himself with his notes which Haley noted were not even for this class and she struggled with whether to stay quiet and hope he told her what his problem was later or to question him now before she became even more frustrated. Frustration won out.

"You've been acting weird since yesterday morning when you raced out of my place like a bat out of hell… what gives?"

He glanced at her quickly before looking back down at his notes and she sighed. Reaching over, Haley placed her hand on his arm willing him to answer her but she felt him tense beneath her touch. It was the second time that morning and she was starting to wonder if maybe he thought their friendship was getting a little too close, maybe he felt smothered. Pulling her hand back quickly she mumbled an apology as she tried to figure out what had happened. He'd been so normal, extra happy this morning and now he was behaving so strangely.

"I was just protecting you okay? If you want assholes like that staring at your ass and talking trash about you then fine, I won't say another word." Nathan replied in a low but obviously angry tone.

Haley stared at him slack jawed, unable to figure out what the hell was going on between them. He'd been more justified in his actions at the club because the guys there were getting way out of line but this was a friend of his making an asinine comment. Before she could respond another voice got the attention of both of them.

"Aw, lover's tiff already. And here I thought it was a fairytale romance… beautiful smart tutor falls in love with her mentally deficient jock student. Guess its true when they say there's more to a relationship than sex." Professor Hadley was smirking at Nathan now, goading him to retaliate. Haley was quite surprised. Since that first class when they'd been kicked out, the Professor had done nothing worse than either glare at Nathan or ignore him and hadn't treated Haley any differently to the other students which Nathan still attributed to the fact that Hadley wanted in her pants, something she still didn't believe, so for him to openly attack Nathan again was a bit of a shock.

Nathan shot up out of his seat and Haley could practically feel the heat of his ire rolling off him, so she quickly stood beside him, taking his hand and when she felt him relax a little she asked him to sit down and linked her fingers between his, rubbing her thumb softly along his hand. She'd seen her mother do the same thing to calm her dad down when he got upset… not that it had happened often, but when it had, Haley had been in awe of how that simple touch could switch her father's mood so quickly.

"Yes Nathan? Can I do something for you or would you like to sit down?" Hadley asked snidely as a group of fellow students entered the room, immediately picking up on the tension.

Tugging his hand, Haley sat down and he followed her lead. "I hate that guy." Nathan growled, glaring at the teacher who was now flirting with an obviously fake breasted brunette who was wearing a skirt the size of a belt. From their intimate stance and how comfortable they appeared Haley wouldn't be surprised if they were sleeping together. And he thought he was better than Nathan? _Yeah right!_ Suddenly a loud snort escaped her and she quickly covered her face. Oh God, she did not just do that in a room full of people. Nathan might think her moments were cute but to her they were mortifying. It wasn't fun having people laugh at you all the time. Sure, she'd gotten used to it, but she sometimes wished that she was more together. Peeking through her fingers, Haley found a few students turning to chuckle.

"Something you'd like to share with the class besides your Miss Piggy impersonation?" Hadley asked in what appeared to be a joking manner and it certainly drew more than a few laughs from other students, but Haley couldn't help but notice that he stared challengingly at Nathan as he said it. He was still trying to provoke him.

And then Nathan did something that shocked her. Nathan Scott, king of cool, Duke's star basketball player told her professor to do something very unpleasant to himself while speaking in a very good Kermit the frog voice.

The room was silent as the class looked warily between Hadley and Nathan. Haley however, hadn't taken her eyes off Nathan, still shocked but totally touched by him standing up for her even when the consequences could mean that he'd be expelled from the class permanently. He needed this class and yet he'd risked his spot for her.

"Thank you Mr. Scott. You've finally given me a reason to kick you out of my class. I know you're barely above Neanderthal status, but I'm pretty sure you know how to use the door." The professor smirked as he gestured to the door and waited for Nathan to leave, the silence now gone as hushed whispers took over.

Haley grabbed her bag from the seat beside her and began placing her books into it. No way was she going to sit here and be taught anything from this asshole. Besides, she had more important things to do like writing a letter to the dean about the unprofessional behavior of one of his professors.

"James, get your stuff back out. You're not leaving." Nathan said as he hoisted his backpack onto his shoulder.

"I'm not staying here with him. This isn't fair Nathan."

"I know, but you need to pass this class. You've got scholarships to think about." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'll pick you up from the bar tonight?"

Haley nodded and watched as he walked out of the class, his head held high. Damn that boy never failed to impress her.

* * *

After the day she'd had, the sight of the door to her suite just down the hallway was like a beacon of shining light. She just wanted to have a shower and crawl into bed for a quick nap before she had to get ready for work. She played with her keys trying to get the right one into the lock, but needn't have bothered as the door flew open, her room mate grinning at her widely. 

"Tutorgirl! I've been waiting for you." Brooke whispered excitedly, pulling her inside and hugging her tightly.

"Ooookay."

"Hi Hales." Both Lucas and Mouth called from their position on the sofa watching TV. She smiled at them both, realizing how much she liked having them both over to fill the place up. Coming from such a large family, she always loved having lots of people around and it was great that Mouth got along so well with her best friend… and well, it went without saying that Brooke and Lucas did a hell of a lot more than just 'getting along'.

"I need to talk to you." Brooke whispered conspiratorially, glancing over at the boys to make sure they hadn't heard her.

"Why are we whispering?" Haley asked curiously, finding herself glancing to see if the boys could hear them.

"I'll explain soon. Your room, now."

Haley followed along extremely confused by her friend's behavior and just as they reached the doorway to her room she heard Lucas call out Brooke's name in what sounded like a stern warning before Brooke grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bedroom, quickly slamming the door shut and turning the lock.

"Brooke!"

"Sorry, Luke, I can't hear you." Brooke sing-songed, fighting off a giggle.

"Brooke you promised you'd stay out of it." Lucas called from behind the door.

"Hey! You said I could be there too. Let me in." This time it was Mouth's muffled voice coming from the other side of the door and it sounded like the two were both scuffling, trying to get each other out of the way.

"Sorry buddy. You're in enemy territory. I can't open the door." Brooke yelled before turning on Haley's stereo to drown out the boys' voices.

"Brooke! What the hell? Why are you being a drama queen right now?" Haley asked rubbing her wrist from where her friend had yanked her through the doorway. This whole situation was a tad too dramatic… yet totally Brooke-like.

"Sorry." The other brunette grimaced

"It's fine, but why did you feel it necessary to drag me in here at the risk of pulling my arm out of it's socket?... and why are there two guys out there trying to break my door down?"

"Now who's being dramatic?" Brooke smirked before continuing. "There is a perfectly good explanation for all this."

Haley heard the doorbell and hoped that one of the boys would drag themselves away from her door to see who was there.

"Brooke. He's gone, let me in."

Racing across to the door, Brooke quickly unlocked it and poked her head out, making sure the coast was clear, before grabbing Mouth's shirt and yanking him inside and then locking the door again.

"Pizza guy showed up and Lukey had to pay." Mouth snickered, obviously happy to now be included in this little secret.

"He sounded annoyed. Are you sure you want to ruin your 'Brucas' time?" Haley mocked her room mate's sickeningly sweet name for the two of them, once again thinking that it was something couples did, not fuck buddies.

"Puh-lease. I can handle Lucas."

Haley rolled her eyes already knowing what Brooke had in mind. "Withholding sex to get what you want is not a sign of a healthy relationship."

"Well it's a good thing Luke and I aren't in a relationship then, isn't it?"

"Whatever." Haley and Mouth both said at the same time, rolling their eyes.

"Do you want to know the secret or not?" Brooke huffed, crossing her hands over her chest and pouting.

"Not particularly." Haley yawned and lay back against her pillow. "You're the one who dragged me in here remember."

"Oh, you wanna know Hales." Mouth nodded animatedly which she had to admit peaked her curiosity. Brooke may be known to be a bit excitable over things but Mouth was usually pretty level headed. Maybe this was a good secret.

Chuckling, Haley sat up and looked at her two friends standing at the end of her bed obviously dying to tell her. "Okay, I give. What is this so exciting secret you just have to tell me?"

"Nathan's going to ask you out."


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all of the fabulous feedback you've left. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. A big thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) for her amazing assistance and to Ashley (JLlover0055) for being my beta for this update.

* * *

"Tutorgirl?" Brooke prompted disappointedly. She'd expected a bigger reaction like jumping up and down… or maybe even fainting. The point was she'd expected a reaction and so far she'd gotten nothing.

"Hales?" Mouth asked warily as he watched his friend's eyes flicker back and forth between he and Brooke.

"Are you high?!" Haley asked after recovering from the shock of her friend's ridiculous statement. 

Huffing, Brooke folded her arms across her chest. "I told you she wouldn't believe me. She's totally in denial." 

"Well it is a lot to sink in."

"We've known this has been coming for weeks… longer. You'd think the tutor would understand it before us."

"Just because Haley has book smarts doesn't mean she has street smarts." 

"What would you know from street smarts Mouth?" Brooke bumped his hip teasingly and he shoved her back lightly before responding "God, retract the claws Brooke. What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Denial-girl over there of course. I knew she wouldn't believe me… which is ridiculous because I always know what's going on."

"Oh, like you just knew that Tyler Wilkins was going to ask you out on a date last month?" Mouth questioned with a cheeky grin, before looking away innocently.

"Shhh… Lucas is out there… and I wouldn't have gone anyway." 

Haley and Mouth both found the comment interesting considering she and Lucas were only supposed to be casual and non-exclusive.

Mouth just gave her a pointed look until she sighed and shrugged. "Okay, so I was a little off with the Tyler thing."

"A little off? The guy's gay, Brooke. I've got better gay-dar than you."

"And that's something you're seriously proud of? ...Something you're not telling me?"

"Shut up." He mumbled, folding his arms and pouting.

"Hello?! I'm right here… and I believe we were talking about me, and how you got the ridiculous idea that Nathan, my _friend_ Nathan, is going to ask me out." Screwing up her face Haley shook her head in disbelief "I swear watching you two is like watching an episode of Beavis and Butthead sometimes."

Brooke gasped, picking up a pillow off the bed and whacked her room mate forcefully.

"I wouldn't do that again if I was you." Haley warned with a smug expression. "Remember that thing I caught you doing last week?" Brooke's face went the color of a beetroot and her eyes widened at the memory. "Well I have a best friend who would probably find the story amusing." 

"Fine." Brooke changed the subject quickly, clapping a hand over Mouth's mouth as he began to ask about the incident Haley had mentioned. "Back to the issue at hand… the impending Naley proposal."

"Whoa! Hold up. The impending what?" Haley asked incredulously.

"Naley proposal." Brooke said excitedly. "Naley is like Nathan and Haley joined as one… kind of like how the two of you will be soon."

Haley burst out laughing. "Yeah, I get the stupid name thing, it's the proposal you need to clarify. You know, I think you really have lost it. Maybe you should lay off the hairspray Brooke, because the fumes are doing some major damage. I thought your idea of him asking me on a date was stupid… now you're telling me he's going to propose? I suppose next week he'll be asking me to have his babies." 

"No… but I'm sure he'll want to practice making them!" Brooke, who had been glaring at Haley's mockery, smirked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively as Mouth cackled beside her.

"I'm serious about him asking you out Hales. I got the information from a very reliable source."

Quirking an eyebrow Haley placed her hands on her hips. "Oh yeah, and who might this fountain of knowledge be?"

"Lucas."

"Luke! Get in here now." Haley hollered, skeptical eyes surveying both of her friends carefully. This whole situation was surreal. If she was to believe Brooke, her best friend had somehow gained the knowledge that Nathan - aka his secret brother, the guy she had been developing strong feelings for was going to be asking her out on a date. How the hell had this series of events transpired? It was all too outrageous to be true and up until this point she hadn't given it an ounce of credence beside the little flutter… okay, the big flutter of her heart when Brooke had first said it, but now that it was coming from Luke?... well there was a mixture of curiosity, elation… and terror coursing through her veins. She didn't want to even think about how this made her feel until she got to the bottom of whether or not it was true.

"No. You guys locked me out. You can come out here." He said sulkily and she smiled imagining the pout on his face. He'd had the same adorable pout since she'd met him as a little girl.

Opening the door she found Luke sitting on the sofa about to take a large bite of his pizza slice. Quickly moving forward she swiped the slice out of his hand, almost chuckling at the look of dismay on his face.

"Why is Brooke telling me that Nathan is going to ask me out?"

"I don't know. Brooke? Why _are_ you telling Haley that?" He growled, obviously not impressed she'd spilled the secret.

Taking a seat beside him and wrapping her arm around his shoulders, Brooke kissed the blonde's cheek. "I'm a girl. Haley's my friend. You told me juicy gossip… of course I told her." She stated as if it were common knowledge. "It's really hot when you get all grouchy."

Lucas seemed to preen at her words, leaning in to give her a kiss. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm"

Haley and Mouth rolled their eyes simultaneously before she grabbed the pizza box off the table finally getting Lucas' attention away from her room mate.

"Hey. I'm not done with that." He cried, reaching out to take it back from his best friend.

"Then stop the make out session and pay attention! I want answers Luke. Tell me what Nathan said or you're not getting any more of this pizza."

"Delicious pizza." Mouth added as he struggled to chew and talk at the same time.

"C'mon babe. There's no point in putting it off. Just tell her already." Brooke shrugged eyeing the pizza that was starting to look really, really good.

Realizing he'd be hounded by his best friend until he told her what she wanted, he thought back to his conversation with Nathan the morning before.

"_Nathan! Wait!" Lucas called as he ran down the steps of the dorm and towards the other boy who was walking down the path. _

_Nathan stopped and turned, watching the other guy approach him warily. It was obvious that Lucas had a problem with him and with his thoughts basically a jumbled mess right now, he didn't want to deal with whatever crap Lucas wanted to start. _

"_What is it Lucas?" Nathan asked tiredly, obviously readying himself for an argument._

"_What's going on between you and Haley?"_

"_Excuse me?" Nathan asked unable to keep the edge out of his voice, not at all impressed with the other boy's prying._

"_You heard me... and don't say 'nothing' because what we just interrupted was a whole lot of something."_

"_Haley's a friend." He answered noncommittally. _

"_That's crap and anyone with eyes can see it. She's too trusting."_

"_What's that supposed to mean? Are you accusing me of something?"_

"_What do you want with her? You're a God around here Nathan. I've heard of your reputation. You've always used your standing as a basketball star to get all the women you wanted; the hot cheerleaders, the older college girls while you were still in high school..."_

_Lucas noticed Nathan's shoulders slump slightly, looking away almost as if he was ashamed of the reputation he'd garnered. "So I'll ask you again, what are you doing hanging around Haley?"_

"_Jesus, I thought you were supposed to be her best friend." Nathan snapped, pulling up to his full height again. _

"_I am her best friend." Luke defended, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm a friend who isn't obviously trying to get into her pants."_

_This guy was unbelievable. If he was such a great friend to Haley, then why didn't he believe Nathan could see something special in her? "Some friend you are; assuming that the reason I'm interested in Haley is that I have some ulterior motive, like she's not good enough to get the attention of the 'the basketball star' – your words, not mine."_

_Lucas flushed, chastened by his words. He knew Haley was good enough, God, she was one of the best people he'd ever met, but others didn't always see how amazing she was because she never tried to draw attention to her qualities, she was happy just to be herself and it didn't matter what everyone else thought._

"_It's guys like_me_ who aren't good enough for _her_. I may not be the same guy you described anymore, but that's a part of my past I can't erase." _

_Noticing the sadness and regret in Nathan's words, Luke studied him carefully. Rather than being a jock that was proud of his conquests, as expected, he seemed ashamed of them; ashamed of the person he used to be._

"_You really are interested in her, aren't you?" He asked in awe, surprised that his judgment had been wrong._

"_What? I never said that." Nathan denied adamantly._

"_Yes you did. You said I assumed that the reason you were interested in her was because you had an ulterior motive."_

_Once again he was surprised as Nathan seemed embarrassed and tongue tied before getting defensive again. "Look man, it doesn't matter and you can save the ass kicking because I'm never going to act on it alright."_

"_Why the hell not?" Lucas demanded, his hackles rising again as he wondered if maybe Nathan was embarrassed by his feelings for Haley._

"_Are you serious? You come out here basically threatening me to stay away from her and now you're demanding to know why I won't go after her? That is some kind of messed-up, Lucas." Nathan shook his head in disbelief before narrowing his eyes. "Are you into her? Is there some weird crush thing you've got going on?"_

_Lucas repressed his first urge which was to throw up at the thought of him and Haley being romantically involved… it would be like incest, but couldn't suppress the smirk as he saw the jealousy in Nathan's eyes. He could deny it all he wanted, but Nathan Scott had a thing for Haley James._

"_No, I do not have a crush on Hales. She's like my sister." He shuddered to break the tension and was glad to see Nathan at least crack a smile_

"_So if you like her, why wouldn't you ever ask her out?"_

_Nathan watched him warily trying to figure out if it was a trick question, then simply shrugged and looked away, not really feeling comfortable answering._

"_She'd say yes, you know." _

_Seeing Nathan's head snap up at the comment Lucas almost laughed out loud. He'd definitely gotten his attention with that._

"_Why would you tell me that? You've made it pretty obvious what you think of me."_

"_Look, I've been a bit hard on you. I'm protective of Hales, and it's not easy adjusting to not being around all of the time to protect her."_

"_And you assumed I was using her." Nathan bit out, hating that even now people still always thought the worst of him… well not everyone, he amended thinking of Haley._

"_Well, come on Nathan. You're not exactly the two most likely of friends; the jock and tutor."_

_Nathan took in his words and slowly nodded his head. "You've got a point and I can see why you'd think that. To be honest, if she hadn't have fallen on her ass in front of me at orientation we may never have even met."_

"_Yeah, well that's Haley for ya." Lucas chuckled and Nathan soon joined him._

"_You'd really be okay with me asking her out?" Nathan questioned suspiciously before hastily adding "Not that I'd ever ask your permission anyway. Haley's a smart girl and can make her own decisions."_

_Lucas rubbed the back on his neck awkwardly. "Honestly? I don't get why the two of you are friends and if you did become something more I don't see it lasting." Nathan glared at him and Lucas held up his hands defensively. "BUT Haley's seen something in you that I obviously haven't and if you made her happy, then I'd be okay with it."_

"_What? Am I supposed to thank you now?" Nathan asked, insulted, yet strangely impressed by Lucas' honesty._

"_Look, I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. Just like I won't sugar coat this – If you ever hurt her… you _will_ regret it."_

"_I'd never hurt her Lucas."_

_Nathan said the words so resolutely that Lucas was comfortable he meant them… being able to keep to his word was another thing, but he knew he was fighting the inevitable. Haley could do worse. "So you are going to ask her out, then?"_

_Nathan nodded gathering his confidence as he stood taller. "Yeah, I am."_

"Luke! Stop your daydreaming and tell me what the hell he said." Haley demanded, jostling his shoulder. 

"I'm not a girl, Hales. I'm not going to sit here analyzing every word and every intonation of his voice. All you need to know is that he likes you and he's going to ask you out." When she went to speak he cut her off quickly "And no – I don't know how, when or where… only the why, which is because he likes you. End of conversation… now give me that pizza, I'm hungry."

"Really?" Haley whispered, finally believing it now that Lucas had said the words out loud. 

All three of her friends smiled at the expression of awe on her face. She was such an amazing person, but she didn't even realize it.

"Yes really, I'm starving." Lucas joked before smiling at her as she placed the pizza box down on the coffee table in front of him and turning serious once again. "Yes Hales, he really does like you and he really is going to ask you out."

"And you're okay with this?" Haley asked skeptically

"If it makes you happy, I'm happy." He shrugged, before Haley threw herself onto the couch to hug her best friend, Brooke and Lucas groaning loudly as she landed on them both. Unable to resist joining in on the fun, Mouth crawled on top yelling 'Stacks on' reminding them all of the childhood game which involved little more than a group of friends jumping on each other until they were in one big pile of tangled limbs.

"God, Mouth… for a scrawny geek you sure weigh a freakin' ton." Brooke complained, all the while laughing along with the rest of them.

"Get off, get off." Haley squealed, rolling off the couch after Mouth had removed himself from her back.

"Sorry, Hales. Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly.

"No… but I need to start getting ready for work."

"What are you talking about? It only takes you half an hour. You've still got plenty of time." Mouth questioned, sharing Lucas' look of confusion.

"Nathan's driving me home from work tonight." she said distractedly.

"And?"

Brooke stood from the couch, shaking her head at both boys as Mouth took her spot beside Lucas. "Boys, boys boys. Nathan is no longer Nathan."

"Huh?" they asked simultaneously.

"Nathan is no longer Haley's friend Nathan. He's the hot boy who's going to ask her out. That alone merits an extra hour of preparation time. Do you not know any of the rules of pre-dating?"

Mouth looked to Lucas with a quirked brow and whispered "There are rules?"

Scoffing, Brooke grabbed Haley's hand and dragged her into the bedroom and muttered to her room mate "Clueless. Their whole gender is totally clueless."

* * *

"I'm sorry. I'll fix that order up for you straight away and send someone to your table." Joe said with a smile before shaking his head in exasperation. It was the sixth drinks order Haley had stuffed up that night. She had taken to her job like a fish to water, rarely making a mistake and yet tonight it was like she was living on a different planet. Luckily her shift was over in a few minutes.

"Haley. Earth to Haley." Joe called waiting for her to respond as she dried glasses at the other end of the bar, but when she didn't answer he tried again, throwing his own towel at her "Space Cadet!" 

Startled from hearing Joe raise his voice Haley dropped the glass she'd been drying and jumped backwards. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"To get your attention? You've been daydreaming since you got here."

"I have not." She defended, knowing it was a lie. She hadn't been able to stop herself from conjuring a million and one different scenario's where Nathan asked her out, and then a million more of where they would go… and about five million of what their first kiss would be like. She was in total crush mode.

"Ok. Sure." He chuckled. "Tell me Hales. How often do the sales guys from Vil-Tech come in here for drinks?"

"Um… three, maybe four times a week." 

"Uh-huh… and how often do they change their drinks order?"

Frowning, Haley shook her head and answered warily. "Never. They always get the same thing."

"Right. So how is it that you've managed to get them the wrong drinks _twice_ tonight?"

"Oh." She grimaced, feeling guilty for being off her game. 

"It's no big deal Hales, but if you're sick or something I could have arranged for you to have the night off." Although she definitely didn't look sick. He'd noticed how great she looked as soon as she'd arrived, her hair straightened and a little more make-up than usual. 

"Sick? I'm not sick. Look, I promise I won't mix up any more orders okay?"

Joe watched as she walked off to the store room to grab the broom so she could clean up the shattered glass.

"That girl is sick alright." Candi said with a smile as she took a seat at the bar. "Love sick."

"Huh?" he asked, frowning. 

"That look she's had in her eyes all night…"

"You mean the blank one that reads like the lights are on but nobody's home?" he teased.

Shaking her head, Candi reached over and patted his arm mockingly. "How is it you knew immediately that boy of hers had the hots for her… but you can't see her blissed out on thoughts of him?"

He knew the day would be coming soon when the two friends would stop dancing around each other and realize their mutual feelings, but it didn't make the disappointment any less. Maybe that was why he hadn't realized Nathan was the reason behind her strange behavior, because he didn't want it to be. He just hoped that Nathan would treat her right, because Haley deserved the best.

"Maybe one day." Candi offered with a smile before leaving the bar and he flushed, not realizing anyone else had picked up on his feelings for Haley. He knew she'd never have embarrassed him by telling anyone, so he mustn't be as good at hiding his emotions as he thought he was. He'd have to work on that because the last thing he wanted was to lose her as a friend because he made her uncomfortable.

"Hey Joe." 

Speak of the devil, the bartender thought as he turned to find Nathan smiling at him. "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good." Nathan said glancing around the bar, not too subtly looking for Haley.

"She's out back. She won't be long."

Stumbling out of the back room, her previously sleek hair now falling in her face Haley lifted the broom and shovel in the air in triumph. It had been a battle and half to get it out from between the shelving and the wall, the handle getting stuck and a few times she'd almost landed on her ass trying to pull it out… but seeing as though it seemed to be an ongoing battle she endured every shift, she was getting better at not hurting herself. There'd been a few times in her first weeks at the job where she'd gone home with definite bruising on her butt.

"Looking a bit flustered there Haley." Joe laughed as she made her way to the broken glass, still pushing her hair out of her face and not noticing the new person sitting at the bar.

"I had another fight with the stupid broom," she grumbled before grinning "… but I won." The grin soon disappeared as she turned towards Joe and found Nathan smirking at her.

"Must have been some fight James. You look like you've been out in a tornado, not just the back room." He teased taking in her tousled hair and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Damn she was gorgeous.

Of course! Of course after spending an extra hour on her appearance before work, Nathan had come in when she looked like she hadn't bothered getting ready at all. Stupid freakin' broom!

"Hey. I didn't realize it was that time already." She said lamely hoping not to turn bright red any minute now.

"Why don't you go? I'll clean that up."

"No, you need to serve." she said gesturing to the group of guys that just walked in and were headed straight for the bar. "And then I need to take those drinks out to the Vil-Tech guys."

"Can I help?" Nathan asked, gesturing to the broom. 

Haley smirked and nodded to Joe which immediately had Nathan thinking he should have kept his mouth shut. Sliding a tray of drinks across the bar, Joe grinned mischievously. "This needs to go to that table right over there." 

Nathan followed the direction of Joe's pointed finger and sighed, his shoulders hunching over. He had no problem helping out and the group of business men was no trouble… unfortunately the table next to them seated a bunch of college kids, three of who he could already see were team mates of his. He could only imagine the ribbing he was going to get from them about being a 'waiter' in a strip club.

Batting her eyelashes in faux innocence, Haley offered her thanks and bent down to sweep up the mess she'd made, stifling a giggle at the thought of Nathan serving drinks here in front of those guys. When Nathan didn't move, Joe found him staring at Haley's butt which was swaying as shuffled around to sweep up the glass. He cleared his throat, chuckling softly when Nathan looked embarrassed at getting caught staring at his friend. 

Nathan lifted the tray and made his way over to the table of business men, trying to walk forward while almost looking sideways in his attempt to hide from the guys at the next table. He knew it hadn't worked when there was suddenly a lot of laughing coming from behind him.

"Excuse me miss… can I get a lap dance?"

Taking a deep breath he turned and shrugged in defeat. The more he showed it bothered him, the longer it would take for them to get sick of teasing him.

"Very funny guys."

"What the hell are you doing serving drinks here, Scott? You should be watching the fine women on stage with us." Lewis said obviously using the opportunity to smooth things over after their run in that morning.

"Or that fine one behind the bar. Damn that girl's got a fine ass… nice rack too." One of the other guys he hadn't seen before added, staring at Haley as she talked to Joe behind the bar, Nathan immediately glaring at him. Lewis quickly motioned for the other guy to shut up and he simply shrugged. "What? She your girlfriend or something?"

"No." Nathan gritted out, uncomfortable as all of them seemed to be waiting for his answer.

"Well she'd wanna be. Serving drinks for her in a strip club is definitely worth a blow job at the very least."

Nathan went to step forward, his hands clenched into fists, but he didn't want to cause a scene again or get Haley in any trouble. This time he'd walk away.

"Shut up man!" Lewis growled, sending Nathan an apologetic glance.

"You're a dick." Nathan growled before storming back to the bar, his good mood definitely ruined.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Haley asked tentatively glancing across at him as they walked from his car to her dorm. He'd looked so tense and pissed off when he'd come back to the bar earlier and although he seemed to be back to normal now, things were a little… off. Usually they'd chat away in the car, but they'd barely said anything, just glancing at each other occasionally. She'd been hoping to act like nothing was different, but considering apparently she had been spacing out all night, all the awkwardness could have been her fault. 

"Huh?" he asked distractedly, turning to look at her. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay. Good." She said lamely, wishing he wasn't around so she could smack herself in the forehead.

"Hey, what are you doing next Saturday night?"

Her heart stopped for a second before it began racing at a million miles an hour. Was this it? Was he going to ask her out? Haley bit her lip nervously as she saw her building just up ahead and realized that all night she'd been looking forward to this moment, when Nathan might ask her out on a date. Naturally her stomach was in knots. 

"Nothing. I have no plans at all. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I'm totally free."

Her rambling stopped as she realized he was watching her with amusement. "Well they've got that charity preview screening of that new comedy you want to see at the cinema tomorrow night. I thought maybe you'd wanna go."

Taking a deep breath so she didn't pass out, Haley stopped walking, worried she'd be her usual klutzy self and trip, ruining this whole 'Naley proposal' with a trip to the emergency room. "Sure. I'd love to go with you."

Nathan grinned back. "Great. One of the guys has like six spare tickets from his mom who's in charge of organizing it and I thought that maybe we could all go as a group."

"A group?" she asked warily. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Brooke would be pissed.

"Yeah. You, me, Mouth, that blonde girl he's been hanging out with, Brooke… and Lucas."

Even though she was disappointed that it wasn't going to be the date she thought when he first asked, Haley couldn't help but be pleased that Nathan had included Lucas in the invitation with her other friends. "That's really nice of you to invite Luke."

"He's your best friend Haley." Nathan said simply, his smile showing that he'd do whatever he could to make things easier for her and to keep her happy. God, this boy was amazing.

"Um… Are you staying tonight?" she asked as calmly as she could, even though everything seemed so awkward now, and she suddenly realized that Nathan's overnight stays might not be so comfortable if they began dating. She liked sharing a bed with him, having him hold her during the night… but would Nathan expect her to be ready to take the next step as soon as they started seeing each other romantically? Sure, the thought of having sex - and oh how she just knew it would very hot and very steamy sex - with him was definitely a feature in many of her dreams; her body practically a puddle of lust when she awoke, but she just wouldn't be ready for that straight away. Who knew this moving from friends to dating stuff would be so complex?

"Not tonight." He responded, looking away quickly so she wouldn't see the regret in his eyes. It was so hard to say no when the only thing he wanted right then was to crawl under the covers and hold her… but it was too hard. Things had been getting harder, literally, the more time he spent with her and he wasn't sure how much longer he could do the 'just friends' thing. He knew he was being a coward and that it was completely out of character for him, but he was nervous as hell about asking her out. Haley was the best thing to come into his life in a long time and he didn't think he could take it if he lost her friendship because he'd tried for more.

"Okay. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked trying not to let her disappointment show.

"Yeah. I'll bring some bagels?"

"Yay! I love our bagel breakfasts." Haley replied with a grin.

"Me too. The second best part of my day." 

"Really? What's the best part?" 

Nathan looked at her for a moment, obviously lost in thought before smirking and shaking his head. "It's a secret. Maybe I'll tell you one day."

"Fine." Haley grumbled. "But I'll hold you to that."

Nathan chuckled at her pout. "I don't doubt it."

"Goodnight Nathan." She said softly and turned to enter the building but only got up one step before she felt his large hand grasp her smaller one.

"Don't I at least get a hug before you go?" 

Haley grinned and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist as he pulled her against him, one hand rubbing her back and the other fisting in her hair. She felt anchored to him, like he didn't want to let go and she knew how he felt. Oh, how she knew he felt. 

He pulled away slowly and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, catching the corner of her mouth. Just that tiny grazing of his lips against hers sent a jolt of electricity running through her and when he moved away she could see in his eyes that he'd felt it too. He stepped further away from her as though he had to get some distance and then cleared his throat. "Goodnight James."

"Goodnight Nathan." She watched him walk away and knew that if something didn't give soon, she'd go insane. Wanting him and knowing he wanted her too, yet living in this friendship/relationship limbo… well it was going to be the death of her. Nathan Scott was going to be the death of her… but damn, what a way to go. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the great feedback. I'm definitely having fun writing this fic. A big thank you to Dawn (BabbleBaby) for her help once again and to the FF girls and their pitchforks lol.

* * *

Haley scowled at no one in particular as she stood in the foyer of the cinema complex pretending she was perfectly comfortable standing alone, the only person in the busy area obviously without a date. She'd been abandoned by Brooke and Lucas who were lining up to get snacks and canoodling which was probably the only word that could be used to describe their actions. Yeah, they're not in a relationship, she scoffed, still unbelieving that her friends had the gall to tease _her_ about being in denial. The other traitors were Mouth and Erica who sat on a nearby couch whispering sweet nothings to one another. Since when was she the poor pathetic fifth wheel? Urgh! Everywhere she looked there were loved-up couples, holding hands, smiling sickeningly at each other, hugging and kissing. It was making her sick.

Where the hell was Nathan? She wondered as she kept glancing towards the entrance. He'd been supposed to pick her up from her place but had messaged her an hour before the movie was due to start, asking if she could get a lift with Brooke and Lucas because he was caught up with something but had reassured her he'd see her there and they'd only miss the previews at most. Haley liked the previews; sometimes they were even better than the movie and she was disappointed that the night was starting out this way.

All week Brooke had been trying to convince her that this was Nathan's way of asking her out on a date, claiming he was obviously too much of a 'pussy' to ask her on a real date, so he'd opted for the safe alternative. Haley wasn't completely convinced. Even though she wouldn't rule out the possibility, going to the movies wasn't exactly something new for them, she and Nathan had been several times since they'd become friends and she really didn't see how this was any different, especially when they'd at least been alone on those other occasions. She ignored the couple who bumped into her, too busy looking into each other's eyes lovingly to notice the poor single girl standing against the wall, almost growling at them as they sent her an apologetic look before focusing on each other again. Had the world gone freakin' love crazy? This was beyond ridiculous.

"Hales."

She snapped out of her thoughts as Luke called her name, handing her the box of popcorn she'd begrudgingly asked him to get for her, wishing it was Nathan who was getting her snacks.

"Most people have gone in so we need to go get some seats. I heard it's sold out." Mouth said as he and Erica joined them, their fingers intertwined. Haley didn't even realize she was glaring at the joined hands until Erica asked what was wrong.

"Nothing. I'm fine." She offered with the cheeriest smile she could muster. "Why don't you guys go in. I'm going to stay and wait for Nathan."

Brooke gave her a pitying look that made her want to reach out and slap her face, but she calmly smiled and told them to go ahead, this time not managing to suppress a growl as she watched the two couples walk into the theatre looking so smitten.

Fifteen minutes and many sympathetic glances from theatre staff later, Haley heard the rumbling from the cinema as the movie began. She'd left her phone at home and had no way of knowing if Nathan had tried to contact her but she didn't think she could handle any more looks from people who assumed she'd been stood up, so she decided she may as well go and join her friends. The opening credits were running and the room was almost pitch black making it nearly impossible to find them. She stumbled on the steps several times wondering why they even bothered to make those stupid little lights at the end of each aisle when they helped diddlysquat. Suddenly the movie started and the big screen illuminated the rows of cinema-goers giving her a chance to find the her friends who were almost in the very back row and unfortunately seated almost in the middle of the row which meant she'd have to scoot past about eight people to reach the empty seat she spied… hang on. Seat. Seat as in 'one'. Obviously they were all pretty certain Nathan wasn't coming and had decided to comfort her by placing her between them. Oh joy. Right between two sickeningly happy couples. Yeah, that's exactly where she wanted to be.

"Ouch." Cursed the poor woman who probably had no feeling left in her foot after Haley had trodden on it as she scrambled to get to her seat. She tried shuffle along more carefully but caught her foot on the strap of a hand bag and stumbled to her knees, falling forward face first into someone's lap. By this point there was a lot of 'shushing' coming from nearby rows and several people had turned to see what all the fuss was about. Looking up, Haley found herself being glared at by a middle aged woman, probably the man's wife, who was elbowing her husband obviously wanting him to remove the young woman's face further away from his privates instead of sitting there wide-eyed with shock. Haley scowled back at the woman, in no mood to be polite after the way her night had been going and muttered just loud enough for them to hear "Get over it. If I'd wanted a hot dog, I'd have bought one out front."

This elicited a gasp of shock from the wife who looked so angry Haley was surprised there was no steam coming from her ears, while the husband looked like he was stifling his laughter. Sending him an apologetic glance, she quickly made her way to the empty seat, glaring at her friends who weren't even trying to hide their laughter.

"This isn't Amsterdam Hales. You're not allowed to give blowjobs during the movie but I'm sure he'd be happy to meet you in the bathroom afterwards." Brooke cackled, earning looks of disgust from both Haley and Lucas.

"Are you okay?" Mouth asked as he leaned across his date.

"Yeah. Thanks." She offered a shaky smile, wishing her seat would swallow her up. Thank God it was dark inside and no one could see her flaming red cheeks.

"I tried to get six seats together but had no luck. We figured it was best to at least save one just in case… well, um."

"It's okay Erica. I guess Nathan couldn't make it." She said nonchalantly before focusing her attention on the screen, pretending to be absorbed in the movie. Twenty minutes later she still had no idea what the movie was about, too busy thinking up ways to torture basketball jocks in the most excruciating fashion.

She wasn't sure at first, thinking herself mistaken when she felt something in her hair, but the second and third times she felt it more clearly, Haley realized that someone was throwing popcorn at her. Perfect. Just perfect. That's all she needed right now; some immature asshole taking delight in making her evening even suckier than it already was. Turning around to glare at the offender she copped a piece of popcorn to the eye, her hand flying up immediately to her stinging eye as she gasped out loud. Damn that stung. She sat still trying to watch the movie and simultaneously ignore the fire in her eye, but she couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm gonna go." She whispered to Brooke, quickly reassuring her she was fine when her friend protested. "I'm just not feeling well. I'll see you at home."

Making it into the bathroom Haley surveyed her appearance and was relieved to see that besides looking like her dog had died and she'd discovered the uncanny ability to cry from only one eye for hours, there didn't appear to be any serious damage… although she'd reserve judgment for the morning. She wasn't the trendsetter type, so trying to pass off an eye patch as the latest fashion wasn't really something she wanted to try.

Shaking her head, she took in the sight before her and laughed. Hearing the sound reverberate around the empty room, she cringed realizing how maniacal it had sounded. She refused to blame herself for sounding half crazy. This sort of thing only happened to Haley James and rather than allow herself to be pissed off for the rest of the night, she would see the funny side. Nathan was sure to have a reason for standing her up. At the thought of Nathan she couldn't help but worry that something had happened to him, but she wouldn't panic. He'd probably left another message on her phone which she'd check as soon as she got home. Spinning around she headed for the door wanting to get out of there.

"Jesus!" Growled Nathan as he stumbled backwards clutching the side of his face.

"Nathan?" Haley asked in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure my face is still attached to my head." He mumbled. "Someone decided to assault me with a door." He added wryly with a sexy smirk.

Placing her hands on her hips, Haley raised her eyebrows for a moment before her eye began stinging again. "Well that someone didn't know that there was a perv listening on the other side of the door to _girls' bathroom_."

"I thought I heard a hyena cackling in there." Nathan goaded, knowing she hated that almost hysterical laugh she made when she was feeling out of control of a situation.

He may talk the talk but when it came down to it Nathan never walked the walk. He'd tease her freely, but any hint that he'd taken it too far and he'd retreat back so fast it was like watching him in rewind. She felt a little guilty enjoying the power she had over him, something she'd only this last week realized she had.

"I'm not talking to you." She sniffed haughtily before taking off in the direction of the exit, a small smile playing on her lips as she heard him calling after her.

"Hey, James. Wait up would you?"

Reaching the bottom of the steps outside the front of the cinema complex Haley turned to find him right behind her.

Nathan studied her for a moment, taking a good look now that the left side of his face had stopped throbbing so much. His eyes widened as he noticed the red rim of her eye. "Have you been crying? Oh god, I'm sorry Haley. I didn't mean to be so late."

"I'm not crying because you're late, doofus." She laughed, playfully punching his arm. "Conceited much? I got popcorn in my eye."

Nathan grimaced and wished this whole evening could start over. "Um… that was me."

"What?" Haley asked incredulously while pushing back thoughts of how unbelievably sexy he looked when he was biting his lip like that worried about getting in trouble.

"I was trying to get your attention. The only seat I could find was two rows back and I didn't want to yell out so I aimed some friendly fire popcorn in your direction." He grimaced, realizing the idea had sounded a lot better in his head. "I'm sorry."

Haley giggled. "Do you know two bigger dorks than us?"

"Hey! Speak for yourself, James."

"Wasn't it you complaining just last week that my dorky-ness has infected you? Face it Nathan. You're now officially a dork; you threw popcorn in my eye - great aim by the way Mr. Basketball Superstar – and then while eavesdropping on the girls' bathroom you copped a door to the face. Smooth moves playa." Haley chuckled at the indignation on his face before he cracked a smile and drew her into a hug.

"You're right. I'm a total dork just like you."

"Damn straight." She muttered enjoying being in his arms way too much than was healthy. She'd never felt so calm yet jittery, safe yet dangerous all at once. "So where were you tonight?"

"With Dean Pritchard. He agreed to meet with me at his house tonight because he'd been too busy to see me the last few days."

Haley pulled back and stared up at him a huge grin on her face. "Really?"

Nathan basked in the look she gave him. She was proud of him and to be honest that had been the reason he'd asked to see the Dean privately about the issues he'd been having with Professor Hadley. He knew Haley felt incredibly guilty for him being kicked out of their class, no matter how many times he told her he'd do the same thing over again to defend her. Hadley had been out of line and Nathan wasn't going to put up with it. Besides, they both knew if that altercation hadn't occurred the Professor would have eventually found another reason to get rid of him.

Haley had offered to go with him to speak to the Dean or alternatively write a letter of complaint, but while he appreciated her support he felt like it was something he needed to do for himself. He'd never cared a lot about school, always figuring he'd get by on his basketball skills and reputation, but he'd made a lot of changes in the last few months and had decided before heading off for college that he would knuckle down and make sure he obtained his degree even though he could probably scrape by doing the bare minimum of study and still stay on the basketball team. Haley made him want to prove himself more. She had so much faith in him and he couldn't help but start to believe in himself as much as she did. It wasn't just her 'dorky-ness' that was rubbing off on him.

"What did he say?"

"Well apparently this wasn't the first complaint lodged against the Professor and he said he was glad I came to him. He's going to get me placed back in the class while he looks into the complaints he's received."

Haley threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "This is great news. I'm so proud of you, Nathan."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for the rest of the movie?" Nathan asked guiltily, feeling terrible for first being late and then injuring the poor girl.

"Nah. I have no idea what's happening anyway."

"I'm sorry I ruined your night James."

"You didn't… well besides being late which led me to fumbling in a dark movie theatre and landing face first in a strange man's crotch… then almost blinding me of course." She smirked, elbowing him playfully.

"You're hardly blind James, so stop exaggerating, and I'm sure it was the biggest thrill the guy's had in ages." He chuckled before muttering under his breath "Lucky bastard."

Haley stopped short realizing Nathan had inadvertently admitted he wouldn't have minded being in that position, and couldn't help smiling as she watched him amble down the sidewalk muttering to himself. That boy wanted her and she couldn't believe she'd been so blinded by her own doubts and insecurities not to see what had been staring her – and apparently the rest of the campus – in the face. Nathan Scott had a thing for her.

"C'mon James. I'll drive you home." Nathan called over his shoulder.

Haley ran to catch up, suddenly feeling freer than she had in months. So he may not have worked up the courage to ask her out yet; this 'group date' as Brooke had dubbed it, obviously not a date at all, but she had faith that he would in his own time. The fact that he was nervous about it just made him sexier. She loved the confident, cocky side of his personality but it was nice to know he could be insecure and vulnerable like other mere mortals.

* * *

"Can you stay? I've got m&ms." She bribed with a smirk as they reached her dorm building, remembering how he'd used her skittle obsession to persuade her to stay with him not that long ago.

"Well… I was going to say no, but now that you've added m&ms to the offer I can't refuse."

"Jerk."

"Ah, you still love me." He teased, before realizing his words and acting a lot more awkward than the situation called for. He wondered what had happened to smooth.

"Pfft. Only when it suits me." She teased not wanting things to be weird between them. She was sick of it. Grabbing his hand she pulled him upstairs to her suite before he could get spooked which seemed to have happened a lot lately.

Locking the door behind her Haley turned, pleased to find Nathan helping himself to the fridge and grabbing them both a bottle of chilled water, obviously feeling at home again which was what she wanted. It was silly calling it a routine considering he'd only been staying over sporadically for a couple of weeks, but that's what it felt like. It was natural and comfortable and she liked it.

Nathan smiled, picking up both bottles from the counter and yelling over his shoulder "Don't forget my m&ms!"

"Yes Master." Haley shouted to him after he'd gone into the bathroom where she now kept a spare toothbrush for him.

"Shut up smart ass and get me my candy." Nathan called in return, failing to hold back a chuckle just thinking about her rolling her eyes at his macho command.

As she put away the last of the dinner dishes which had been drying on the sink, Haley watched him swagger out of the bathroom, admiring how good he looked… especially in her home. He headed straight for her bedroom as usual because they preferred snuggling under the covers and chatting rather than sitting in the living area. They both felt it reminded them of being kids and having sleepovers. For some reason it was easier to be open and honest; uninhibited, lying together under the covers. There was something magical about it.

Haley rushed into the bathroom and removed her minimal makeup and brushed her teeth before grabbing her stash of m&ms and skittles from the pantry and made her way to the bedroom, throwing the candy on the bed before doing her best signature 'I Dream of Jeanie' move; hands joined palm to palm as her whole body shimmied from side to side . "Your wish is my command Master."

"You are the Queen of Dork." He mocked hiding a smile at how funny and adorable she looked playing around like that. He loved how she didn't seem to mind looking silly in front of him – granted it wasn't always on purpose - but with other girls it felt like they were always acting, making sure they behaved exactly how they thought he wanted them to, whereas Haley was always just herself.

"Well then I guess that makes you my King seeing as though 'I infected you with my dorky-ness'." She stated using finger quotes.

Nathan stripped to his boxers and wife beater before slipping under the covers and opening his bag of candy, savoring a mouthful of the good stuff. He looked up, startled to find Haley undressing. She usually went into the bathroom and came back completely changed into her pajama bottoms and singlet. This wasn't good… well obviously in some ways it was freakin' great, because really, what guy wouldn't want to see someone as beautiful as Haley undress but how was he expected to behave like her friend when he'd now have vivid images of her clothes being removed running through his brain? God, he was getting hard just thinking about it and that was something difficult to hide when sharing a bed. Sure, she'd woken a few times and in her embarrassment teased him about his morning erection poking her in the back but that was different. It was normal for a guy to wake up that way… it was quite another matter to get hard while simply lying in bed with her, both wide awake and not touching. He hadn't gotten up the courage to ask her out yet and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off before then.

"I know I say this every time… but we really are complete freaks for brushing our teeth and then eating candy in bed."

"Yeah, you're right. There are much better things to do in bed." He drawled playfully.

Haley rolled her eyes at him before picking up a cushion and throwing it at him in retaliation for his innuendo. He watched in awe as she managed to change from her skirt and top into her sleepwear without baring so much as an inch of previously undiscovered flesh. Previously, he thought, knowing that eventually he would discover it but that line of thought had to end now before he got carried away.

"How the hell did you do that?" He asked wide eyed.

Haley smirked over her shoulder as she quickly tied her hair up in a messy bun on the top of her head. "It's a talent I acquired in gym class. The girls' locker room can be brutal when you're a late bloomer; you learn to hide what you don't have."

"Well you certainly don't need to worry about that now" Nathan teased not too subtly ogling her full breasts and making her blush. This was better. He felt more in control. If he was in control with their banter he felt he could keep a certain part of his anatomy in line.

Reveling in his slight flirtation, Haley felt empowered. Sure, she was still blushing, she didn't think that would ever change, but she didn't feel the impulse to wrap her arms around herself hiding her hardened nipples or to quickly scoot and hide under the covers. She felt kind of sexy. Nathan made her feel sexy, something no other guy had accomplished. Not even her ex-boyfriend.

After closing her door, Haley got into bed, rolling over to face Nathan who was holding out the opened bag of skittles for her. She grinned and took a handful popping them into her mouth and moaning at the pleasure. Whoever dared to say skittles aren't as good as sex was lying because damn they were good.

Nathan sucked in a breath at the sound of her moan and swallowed his own candy. Damn she was sexy as hell… even more so because she didn't even know it. His body was reacting to her and he couldn't stop those reactions if he wanted to. Not only was Mr. Happy getting happier by the second… actually he was pretty damn ecstatic at that moment, but his breathing had sped up along with his heart rate… and he couldn't for the life of him take his eyes off her.

Haley opened her eyes ready to reach for the bag of skittles lying between them but found herself frozen by Nathan's intense gaze. There was no better way to describe the way he looked at her than to say he appeared ready to eat her up like his sacred m&ms. The blue of his eyes was darker; the way she'd seen it on those few occasions she'd gotten them in the situation where he'd accidentally become aroused… but this was different. She hadn't touched him. There was no falling and straddling, no wiggling on his lap… this was pure lust simply from looking at her and the knowledge that she could make him feel that way without a single touch turned her on and filled her with an age old feminine power she hadn't known she possessed.

This could go two ways. They could awkwardly pretend nothing had happened like they usually did, probably putting an end to their sleepovers for the time being… or she could go for it - do what she'd wanted to do since the first day his gorgeous blue eyes had peered into hers as she'd lain flat on her back having destroyed the cheerleader's orientation table in typically mortifying Haley James fashion - she could kiss him.

Nathan had no idea how it happened but one second he'd been fantasizing about tasting her and the next it was actually happening; her lips suddenly pressed against his, her hands caressing his face gently as she kissed him so sweetly that he thought he might die. Nothing he'd ever experienced in his past, nor imagined experiencing with her compared to this reality. It was like all of his senses came alive, his skin tingling, blood rushing through his veins.

Haley pulled away breathless, blinking in disbelief that she'd actually done it… and that it had exceeded her every expectation. One kiss! How could she feel so many things from just one kiss? It was like she underwent some kind of transformation from being simply awake to being alive. She watched as his tongue snaked out to run along his lower lip, that movement bringing her back into reality and her gaze flew up to his; terrified. She didn't know why she was scared, he'd already admitted to Luke that he liked her but she still hadn't heard those words from his lips.

"Oh thank God." He whispered huskily, before reaching out to cup the back of her neck, pulling her in for a second kiss, his lips caressing hers softly before his tongue traced her bottom lip seeking entry which she quickly gave.

She moved closer, needing to feel his body against hers and gasped at the feel of him hard against her belly. This was so perfect. He was so perfect. Her fingertips itched to feel him, one hand cupping his face, the other moving up over his shoulder and down his toned arms before moving along the material across his back. She'd felt his body through clothing before, but this was so different, so intimate and she enjoyed the feel of his muscular back and the little groans he made as she moved against him.

Magic hands. Nathan was convinced she had magic hands because she'd barely touched an inch of uncovered flesh yet his body was on fire, reacting to the heat of her touch like she was branding him. He loved the feel of her, so soft and feminine against the hard lines of his own body. This was all so new but it felt so right. Had anything felt this right before? Even so, in the back of his mind he knew not to push too far, restricting his hands from wandering too far beneath her clothing. He didn't care though; just the feel of the soft skin of her arms and waist was enough to fuel his desires for weeks.

The sound of laughter and a door slamming shut had them pulling apart, struggling for breath, all flushed faces and swollen lips.

"Wow." Haley whispered, touching her lips unbelievingly.

"I know." Nathan said with a grin, resting his forehead against hers. He'd always played it cool in the bedroom, never giving away how he felt, which usually wasn't much more than sexually satisfied and wondering how to get rid of his bed partner without hurting her feelings, but with Haley he didn't want to hide how elated he felt. It was ridiculously cliché but he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. As he thought about how damn sexy it was for Haley to have made the first move, Nathan couldn't help himself from dipping down for another kiss.

"Whoa." Lucas cried, startled to find his best friend making out with Nathan in her bed. He knew they were going to date eventually but the guy hadn't even asked her on a proper date and he was already sticking his tongue down her throat. Luke was not impressed, but the look of warning being sent his way by Haley stopped him from doing anything but mumbling an apology and closing the door, not without a quick glare at Nathan first.

"Well that was embarrassing." Haley muttered, running her hands over her face.

"He'll deal with it." Nathan said lightly, not wanting the mood to be ruined. He didn't want to lose this carefree feeling he had now that he knew for sure she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He noticed her eyes darting nervously around the room, obviously second guessing her actions. He reached out and pulled her across his chest, a startled yelp escaping her throat, followed by a groan from his own throat as she accidentally kneed him.

"Oh crap. Are you okay?" she asked fighting back a chuckle. Well it was his own damn fault for dragging her over him caveman style.

He smiled at her, forgetting his discomfort. "I'm way better than okay, James."

"Yeah?" she asked, shy all of a sudden. It wasn't like she was completely naïve to this sort of situation, but it was new with Nathan.

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long." He whispered, leaning up to press his lips tenderly against hers.

"Me too." She replied against his lips.

Brooke's squeal could be heard through the whole suite and both Haley and Nathan laughed, realizing Lucas had told her about how he'd found them. They'd have to deal with her interrogation in the morning, but that was hours away; hours and hours of bed time away… or not, Haley realized when her door flew open to reveal Brooke standing there looking more excited than a four year old on Christmas morning, before she took in their compromising position and she jumped backward, slamming the door shut.

"I totally think I interrupted them having sex! I guess it really was coitus interruptus this time. That little hussy... oh, I'm so proud."

Haley hid her face in Nathan's neck as he chuckled at Brooke's reaction and the subsequent muttered curse from Lucas telling her he didn't want hear another word about it. Knowing it would take a while to live this down, Haley cringed thinking of how Brooke's teasing would be merciless, going on for days and days. Feeling Nathan trail soft kisses along her neck and shoulder, she realized she just didn't care. Her room mate could take out a full page ad in the college paper complete with photos, and being here with Nathan like this would make it all worth it. Yep, she thought as he began kissing a sensitive spot on her neck, this was definitely worth it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who is reading this and a big thank you to those who have left such wonderful feedback. A number of you have contacted me about updating and I appreciate your enthusiasm and show of support. I know this update took longer than the others, but I had a little trouble with it. Hopefully it's turned out okay.

I also need to thank Dawn (BabbleBaby) for her help as always and Kris (OTH.daddy'sgurl.06) my guinea pig who also helped me a lot with this update.

**Warning:** There are some scenes which are a little more adult themed than usual in this update, but I don't think it warrants raising the rating to an 'M'. I don't think anyone will find it inappropriate but here is the warning if you are sensitive to such material.

* * *

"Are you awake yet?"

Haley bit her lip smiling at the petulant tone in Nathan's voice. She'd been struggling to feign sleep as he kissed his way down her neck and shoulders trying to wake her up. She'd managed to keep her breathing slow and even for minutes now but gasped as she felt his hand run down her arm and slide over her waist, resting under the fabric of her singlet top.

Nathan knew she was awake, had felt the slight trembling in her body as he kissed her but she'd not reacted and he knew he had to amp up the pressure. Hearing her gasp, he allowed himself a satisfied smirk, inordinately pleased with how responsive she was to his touch. They'd kissed for hours last night, driving each other crazy with their caresses, but it never went too far. He'd ended up with his top on the floor, but all of Haley's clothing had remained in place and he was actually surprised by how exciting it was to imagine what was underneath rather than having her throw herself at him like other girls had.

"Good morning." Nathan whispered in her ear before he nuzzled her neck, grinning that he'd finally gotten a reaction from her.

Haley smiled and rolled over her face him. "Morning."

Nathan leaned in and kissed her softly, feeling like he was addicted to her lips. Damn, not just her lips but her skin which was just so soft and smelled sweet… and then there was her hair which had started off in a bun on her head, but he'd soon taken the elastic out and let the beautiful locks cascade down her back. He loved her hair. It was silky and smelled nice and looked so good fanned out on her pillow. He was getting hard just thinking about how she'd looked beneath him last night, her hair a pool of shiny chocolate brown on her pillow, and how unbelievable it would be when they eventually took their new relationship further.

She could die from his kisses. They were just so intoxicating. Wrapping her free arm around his neck, Haley pulled him on top of her, loving the feel of his weight on her and kissed the life out of him, Nathan reciprocating until they pulled away breathless.

"Now this is how to wake up every morning." Nathan smirked, pecking her lips.

Haley furrowed her brow as she took in Nathan's neck and chest, covered with rainbow colored hickeys… well at least that was what it looked like. Glancing beside her on the bed she noticed a small assortment of skittles which they must have missed after cleaning up the candy they had scattered during their make out session. A giggle escaped her as she realized that Nathan had been sleeping on them and now had colored spots on his skin.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked puzzled.

"You. You've got skittle stains all over you."

He sat back to straddle her thighs and looked down to see what she was talking about. He chuckled as he saw the bright colored markings on his skin and began rubbing off one of the marks.

"No!" she said forcefully. "You know how much I love my skittles. It'd be a shame to waste all that sweet candy goodness."

Nathan watched curiously as she pulled herself up to lean back on her elbows and slowly, softly ran her tongue over a red stain on his chest. The feel of her moist tongue on his skin sent a jolt of fire to his groin and he barely suppressed a groan at the contact.

Leaning back again she looked up at him with a saucy smile, enjoying the effect she obviously had on him and licked her lips. "Mmm… I always did love the red ones the best."

Glancing down at his chest Nathan asked huskily. "What about green. Do you like the green?"

Haley nodded her head before repeating the action on a green colored mark just above his left nipple then moving lower to swirl her tongue around it, feeling thoroughly wanton and sexy as he ground himself against her showing her just how much he was enjoying her playfulness. She still couldn't believe how comfortable this felt; how right. Usually she was a bumbling idiot when it came to boys, even Nathan, but as she'd kissed him last night and they'd explored and ignited each other with relatively tame caresses, she found her shyness fading away. She knew he found her sexy and desirable and that gave her a confidence she'd never had before.

Going through all the colors of the rainbow, Haley teased and tortured until Nathan couldn't take it anymore. "You have to stop." He rasped, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before kissing her deeply.

"Aw, but there's still more skittle on you. It's such a shame to waste it." Haley managed to suppress a giggle at the pained look on his face. She knew he'd love her to continue, but they'd already decided they weren't going to sleep together yet and much more of this and they'd be tearing each others clothes off.

Giving her an assessing look, Nathan leaned forward, placing his hands on her pillow at either side of her face. "If I knew just how evil you and your seductive powers were I might have rethought asking you out."

Haley chuckled. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Well that might make sense if you'd actually asked me out Nathan Scott. But you haven't."

Watching her as she looked up at him mischievously, he wondered how he could have been such an idiot to not have asked her out before now. She was perfect and other guys were starting to notice her already, God only knows how long it would have been before someone else came along and did what he'd been dancing around for weeks and weeks.

"No. I haven't, have I?" He agreed softly, leaning down to kiss her again sweetly, sighing as she moved her lips against his. Pulling away, he smiled at her pout. "Next week."

"Huh?"

"Our first date. Next week."

Haley sniffed and turned away haughtily. "Well I'm a very busy woman. It's a bit presumptuous to assume I'll free."

"Haley James, are you free to go out on a date with me sometime next weekend?"

"Um… well I have got a pretty full week coming up. I was planning on doing some laundry, and then there's my pet rock collection that needs polishing…" She squealed as she felt Nathan's hand moving to tickle her stomach, her legs lifting up automatically in self defense and sending her knee colliding with his groin.

Nathan groaned, falling back onto the bed beside Haley, his eyes closing as he winced at the pain.

"Oh crap." Haley yelped, sitting up and leaning over him to see if he was alright. "I'm so sorry Nathan."

"It's okay." He grunted, not wanting her to feel bad.

"God, why is my life like a constant audition for a Cohen Brothers movie? I swear they should stick a caution sign on my forehead because God knows I'm bound to kill someone one day. Did you see me accidentally trip that guy over on Thursday? He's lucky he has good reflexes or that tumble down the steps could have broken his neck..."

Nathan watched her animated face, her hands flailing around as she rambled and wondered how he could find it so endearing. It was like nothing she did could ever annoy him and that was a first with a girl. Usually he found something he disliked about them within a couple of hours of meeting them, but he'd been friends with Haley for a few months now and he still found all of her little quirks appealing.

"…At the very least I could have caused a debilitating injury and his parents would have sued me, because I swear everyone here besides me is loaded… not that they'd get much out of me; my family's not really rolling in it. My parent's live in an RV for Christ sake… Oh God, what if they sued mom and dad for the RV? I could have lost them their home. I'm starting to think maybe I should just never leave this bedroom…"

Haley's rant was cut off by Nathan's lips crashing upon hers in a demanding kiss. All thoughts of clumsiness and lawsuits flew from her mind as he pulled her close and rolled on his back taking her with him. She loved the feel of him beneath her… who was she kidding? She love the feel him beneath her, above her, behind her… she loved being near him, her body tingling when their skin came into contact, her heart racing whenever his lips touched hers.

When finally they pulled apart she looked at him quizzically. "Did you just kiss me to shut me up?"

"No?" Nathan said hesitantly, his response sounding more like a question as if feeling her out for the right answer.

Haley thought he looked like a child who'd stolen the last cookie waiting to be punished. She chuckled and said with scowl "At least you don't pull my pigtails real hard like Lucas used to do when we were younger. A kiss is a much nicer way to be silenced."

It was Nathan's turn to scowl. Haley had said that she and Lucas had never been anything more than friends, but he could imagine a few kisses between curious adolescents and it bothered him. He still didn't understand exactly where this jealousy came from. Maybe it was the fact that Luke got to spend years with Haley, to see her grow up; share her childhood, her high school years, her family and her friends. She meant a lot to him and besides hearing the stories, he wasn't a part of that life. "He'd better not have been kissing you. Ever."

Pushing herself up to a sitting position Haley looked down at him with her hands on her hips. "Nathan Scott. You're not going to go all cave man on me at the mention of other boys in my life are you?"

"Yes." He confirmed scowling, struggling to hold back a smirk as she rolled her eyes at him. Of course he knew she had other male friends, Lucas – also known as the constant pain in his ass – being one of them and they'd never had the previous relationship conversation but he knew from Lucas that she'd had at least one boyfriend which dispelled his fantasy that no other guy had been smart enough to see how amazing she is before he came along. He'd never cared about a girls past and he felt so old fashioned for it even being something he thought about with Haley, but he really didn't like the thought of other guys having kissed her or touched her.

"Believe it or not, you're not the first man to fall for my feminine wiles." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Although it took you long enough."

He laughed at her pout and sat up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her. "I was under your spell from the first time I met you James."

"Really?"

"Yep. I mean what guy could resist a girl who caused such a humiliating scene at freshman orientation?"

"Humph!" Haley tried to wriggle out of his grasp in retaliation to his teasing but he just held her tight and began peppering kisses on her face until she was giggling like a schoolgirl.

"I love that I can now kiss you into submission." Nathan smirked as he saw her face redden in indignation. God he loved riling her up. She was so sexy when she was pissed off. "It's so much easier to control you."

Was he for real? Did he seriously think he could turn into some macho, sexist pig now that they were dating… well they weren't technically dating but they were kissing and he was sleeping in her bed so it was close enough. She could feel her temper flaring. He needed to be put in his place.

"I just realized I've got plans tonight… and today. You know your way out." She threw the words out as convincingly as she could, quickly escaping his grasp and leaving her room.

Nathan stared after her. Damn. He'd thought he was being charming. Maybe he needed to work on his technique. Jumping off the bed he raced out after her ignoring the fact he was dressed in only his boxer shorts.

"James. C'mon James, you know I was joking. Don't be mad."

"Nathan, you disappoint me. I never believed Duke's superstar could be quite so gullible." Haley teased as she stood in the kitchen, her hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. It was nice to have one over on him for a change.

Nathan growled playfully, a mischievous look in his eyes and Haley backed away, moving to the other side of the counter. She knew there was no use running from Nathan. He was the jock and she was the klutz but she was never one to give up easily. Weaving around the counter, her body successfully ducked around his outstretched arm as he tried to capture her. Only a few steps away she squealed when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

"Get your hands off me you Neanderthal." Haley admonished in her most prim and proper voice, failing to stifle her giggles as she flailed her feet dramatically, loving the feel of his chest rumbling against her back. She let her head fall back against his shoulder and breathed in the scent of him. She could barely believe this was happening.

"No way. Now that I actually have permission to grope you… I don't plan on stopping… ever."

"Ever? Won't that make going out in public a little awkward."

"Well we could always stay locked up in your bedroom." He offered nuzzling her neck.

"Sounds like a plan" she chuckled before he picked her back up off the ground and carried her back into the bedroom.

* * *

Brooke closed the door quietly, grinning like a maniac as she raced back to bed, jumping on top of Lucas.

"Curiosity satisfied?" Luke grumbled, wishing she'd forgone the running commentary as she'd watched happy couple through the gap in the door.

"As if. I won't be satisfied until I know for sure they're going at it like rabbits." She teased, knowing he was still having difficulty adjusting to the thought of Nathan and Haley as a couple.

Luke growled playfully and flipped her onto her back, pinning her arms to her side. "What happened to that lecture you gave me last night about staying out of their business?"

"That applies to psychotically overprotective best friends… not fabulous room mates." Brooke quipped, squirming in an attempt to excite him and therefore distract him.

"I'm not psychotic." Lucas grumbled, knowing that if he kept up his bodyguard routine with Nathan he'd be more than on his way to crazy. If he allowed himself to be honest he'd acknowledge that most of his issues lay with the fact that it felt like Nathan was replacing him in Haley's life. Nathan was here with her all the time, not stuck away at another school. He looked after her and protected her – that instance with their professor shocking him, and ultimately showing him that Nathan really did care about his best friend – and he resented Nathan for being in the position he'd once held. It had always been him and Haley against the world and now he didn't quite know where he fit in anymore.

"Alright, not psychotic… although the knack you have for interrupting those two makes me wonder if you're psychic."

Lucas grimaced, hoping that he'd never interrupt anything more than the heavy make out session he'd witnessed the night before. That had tipped him over the edge from being embarrassed to being a grouch as Brooke had gone on incessantly about how she knew all along they were meant for each other. Of course it hadn't taken long for her to turn his mood around. He'd never been so attracted to a girl in his life and even though he didn't have a lot of experience, he was pretty sure the chemistry between the two of them was greater than most people shared.

He felt himself harden as she wriggled her body beneath him, and he knew he was right about their chemistry. God, she didn't even have to touch him half the time, just the little sultry looks she'd send him or that husky voice would have him wondering how soon he could get her into bed… but that's all it could be - great chemistry and amazing sex. They liked each other and had a good time together, but they both knew long distance relationships were disasters and once his workload at school got a bit heavier he wouldn't be able to visit nearly every weekend like he was now. So they kept it simple. They joked, fooled around and never pretended their relationship was going to be something more than temporary, no matter how determined everyone else seemed to have them become a real couple.

"I am psychic." He growled in her ear as he dipped down to nibble on her earlobe.

"Sure." She scoffed, slipping her arms around his neck and holding him to her, trying not to tremble from the sensations he evoked in her.

"I bet I know exactly what you're thinking about right now."

She closed her eyes; his husky voice driving her mad. She just wanted him fuck her.

"I doubt it." She replied surprised by how normal she could keep her voice when her body was going up in flames.

"How about I just show you?"

He was completely naked and all Brooke wore was an old band tee she'd stolen off him a few weeks ago to sleep in. Quickly grabbing a condom from the bed side table, he maneuvered himself to rest between her thighs, testing her with his fingers before thrusting forward and capturing her cries with his mouth.

It was fast and frenzied, just how they liked it and within minutes they both came, bodies trembling, glistening with sweat, their breaths labored.

"Wow. You really are psychic." Brooke joked as he rolled to his back pulling her with him. She closed her eyes as she tried to fight away the feelings that had suddenly come over her. She didn't want to acknowledge them. She didn't care about the boys she slept with. Most were simply flings, some were even friends but it never went beyond that. Especially not with Lucas Scott who she knew could break her heart if she let herself get in too deep.

Thankfully the sound of the front door closing broke off her thoughts and gave her an opportunity to escape from them. Pulling away from him, she quickly got out of bed and threw on some track pants and slippers.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I think Nathan just went out. I'm going to get the goss from Tutorgirl before he gets back."

"Wouldn't you rather stay here and test out my psychic powers a little more." He smirked, watching her gaze roam over his naked form.

She knew she'd rather stay... which was odd. Usually she'd be bored by now. She'd always loved sex, but it tended to lose its edge after being with a guy for a while, but it was different with Lucas. It seemed to only get better each time. "As tempting as that offer is… I'm desperate to find out what happened last night, and besides, Nathan will be back soon and he can offer me something you can't." She stated, hiding a smirk at his pout.

Narrowing his eyes at her playful smile, Lucas asked. "Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"Bagels." She offered seriously. "Nathan's bagels give me more special tingles than any man ever could. Seriously, it's like food sent from heaven or something."

Shaking his head, Luke watched her exit the room, closing the door behind her before he heard muffled girly squeals coming from the living room and he could just imagine poor Haley trying to calm Brooke down. He settled back against the pillows and sighed. School was going great, he had an amazing girl in his bed… or at least he was in hers, and his best friend was the happiest he'd seen her, and yet he wasn't able to be completely happy himself. His weeks were filled with school, and his weekends with his best friend and his… Brooke, but then there were times like this when he was alone with his thoughts and he'd notice an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The only thing he could think of attributing it to was his mother. He'd been at college for months now and barely spoken to her. At first he'd been so grateful that she hadn't pulled the overprotective mother routine he'd been expecting, but lately he was getting worried. It seemed like he initiated most of their contact and even when they did talk it felt like she was always in a rush to get off the phone. The one time he'd visited her at home she'd worked all weekend saying that one of her girls had come down with a stomach bug and there was no one else to cover her. At first he'd brushed aside the feeling that she was avoiding him, or put it down to her way of adjusting to him leaving home, but now he wasn't so sure. Maybe he should talk to Haley about it. She and his mom were fairly close and perhaps she'd know why his mother was acting strangely.

* * *

"So what's he like in bed?"

"Brooke!"

"What?! I've been waiting for the two of you get your freak on for ages now and you've kept me hanging… I've earned the right to know."

Haley laughed at her friend, rolling her eyes at her ability to make everything about herself. "For your information I didn't sleep with him."

Brooke's mouth drooped. "Why not? He's hot. You're hot. You're sharing a bed… how did your clothes not go flying?"

"I don't know. It was hard…"

Brooke smirked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh I just bet it was hard."

"Shut up." Haley swiped at her playfully before continuing. "I wanted to. I still do, it's just I don't want to rush things. Nathan is really important to me and I don't want to jump right in and end up ruining our friendship."

"Urgh! Bugs Bunny doesn't always lose you know. That slow ass turtle got his ass kicked plenty of times I'm sure."

"Brooke. What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's like a famous cartoon Tutorgirl... it's so famous they even made a metaphor out of it." Brooke explained, wondering how her room mate was so smart about some things but clueless about others. "So, Bugs Bunny is in this race against this turtle dude, and of course everyone thinks Bugs is gonna win but he doesn't. I don't know… the moral of the story is supposed to be something about 'slow and steady wins the race'… but that's lame. Everyone knows Bugs totally blitzed that turtle and gave him an ass whooping. You and Nathan are being turtles. You need to be more like rabbits. Definitely like rabbits. You guys should forget this taking it slow crap and start humping like rabbits. That's the damn moral of the story."

Haley listened to her friend in bewilderment. She sometimes wondered what planet Brooke grew up on, but even though she might be exasperating at times, she sure was funny as hell.

"I think you mean 'the tortoise and the hare'. Bugs bunny has nothing to do… Never mind. Can we please stop talking about me and Nathan having sex? There's enough new relationship pressure here already without you adding to it."

"Humph" Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and sat down on the stool. "Okay."

"Want some coffee?"

"Ooh. Yes please. I hope Nathan brings me my breakfast soon."

"Your breakfast? I'm pretty sure he buys them for me and just lets you have some."

"Whatever. If I'm going to have to listen to you love bunnies going at it regularly soon, I'm going to need compensation. You weren't even doing it last night and I had put a pillow over my head to block out the moaning."

Haley blushed to her roots, not having realized how loud she and Nathan might have been the night before and that morning. It was like as soon as his lips came anywhere near her, the outside world ceased to exist. They may not have removed all of their clothing, but they'd gotten each other so worked up that it felt like having sex with their clothes on. She didn't know how she'd ever be able to make sure she was quiet… especially when they finally did shuck off the clothes and 'get their freak on'.

She'd heard Brooke and Lucas often enough, so she supposed it served them right… Oh holy cow. Lucas! Luke, her best friend since tunneling for worms in the park when they were little had heard her moaning and groaning. She wanted to die.

"I suggest you get some earplugs then, Brooke." Nathan stated with a smirk as he entered through the door, bag of bagels in hand.

He watched her faint scowl quickly turn into a grin as she spied the bag in his hand and just knew she was biting back a retort because she wanted one of his bagels so desperately. Seeing Haley's embarrassed face, he smiled, loving that she could be both extremely innocent and yet so, so sexy. Placing the food on the counter he walked around to Haley, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips, forgetting momentarily that they weren't alone and pulling her against him to deepen the kiss. He felt her small hands run up his chest before her arms wrapped around him.

"Oh God!" Lucas exclaimed, quickly turning around and walking back into Brooke's room, slamming the door shut behind him. That was _not_ the something he wanted to see before breakfast.

Pulling apart, Nathan smirked, oddly enjoying the thought of Lucas being so rattled. He should probably work on tampering down that feeling considering Lucas was Haley's best friend and he'd be seeing even more of him now that they were... Dating? In a relationship? Nathan realized they'd been too busy making out since last night to actually talk about much of anything, but considering he was taking her out on their first date soon, he'd settle for 'dating'.

Sighing, Haley pecked Nathan's lips once more before walking over to the closed door and knocking lightly. "Lucas Eugene Scott. Stop being an ass and get out here for some breakfast."

"Do you promise to stop mauling the jock in front of me?"

"Luke!" Haley yelled before throwing the door open to glower at her best friend. "Are you going to stop being a baby?"

"You shouldn't storm into a room like that without getting the okay first. I could have been naked."

"Nothing I haven't seen before." Haley responded standing her ground.

"Hey!" Brooke and Nathan exclaimed simultaneously. Looking back at them Haley couldn't hold back a chuckle taking in Brooke's quirked brow and hands on her hips and Nathan's narrowed eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. Even pissed off he looked hot.

"We've been friends forever. Of course I've seen him naked. I think we even had a bath together once when we got ourselves dirty in mom's garden."

Lucas shuddered comically before moving forward and pushing Haley out of the room towards Nathan. "If I never hear those words again It'll be too soon. Here, I wash my hands of her."

Nathan was surprised by Lucas' change in mood, but grateful for it nonetheless. He took Haley's hand and led her over to the counter, pulling a stool out for her before taking a seat himself. As he passed Lucas a plate with a bagel, Luke thanked him and even gave a little smile.

Lucas was determined to make an effort after the not so brilliant start to his attempts to get along with Nathan, and it was nice of the guy to get them all breakfast, the least he could do was be friendly. The four of them chatted while they ate and despite the undercurrent of tension between Nathan and Lucas, and the sexual tension between Nathan and Haley, everything went smoothly. Nathan kept resting his hand on her thigh, caressing her softly and she kept batting it away, worried she'd start moaning out loud in front of everyone. She'd never understood when people talked about not being able to keep their hands off each other, but it was starting to make a lot more sense now.

"These are damn good bagels." Luke offered as he started on his second helping.

"Yeah, there's a great little bakery just a block from here." Nathan said, noticing Haley's wide smile as she watched the boys interact. That smile of hers could make him move mountains so he decided to keep up the conversation. "Your mom owns a café, right? You must be used to good food."

"Yeah, she's owned the place since I was a baby. I practically grew up there. She even had a crib set up behind the counter and everything so she could work and look after me."

"What about your dad?" Brooke asked, realizing she really didn't know much about this boy she was spending so much time with.

"I never knew him. He got my mom pregnant in high school and then bailed to go to college. I've never met him."

Haley tensed. This was too close for comfort. It reminded her that she was lying to two of the most important people to her and was playing God with their lives. Who was she to keep this secret from them like this? They were brothers! They were sitting across from each other eating breakfast and had no idea that they shared the same father, the same blood. Suddenly feeling sick, she lowered her half eaten bagel to her plate and took a gulp of coffee which no longer tasted like nectar of the Gods, but instead burned down her throat like acid.

"That sucks. I may complain about my dad, and he sometimes treats me more like a much needed high society accessory than a daughter, but I'd rather have him than not."

"I haven't really known anything else. Sure, when I was little I got upset that I didn't have a dad for the father/son games but other than that I didn't really notice. My mom did a great job supporting us and I think we were better off without him. I just figure some fathers aren't worth having, you know?"

Haley watched Lucas give his speech with practiced nonchalance, and although she knew he meant most of it, especially the stuff about Karen, she also knew he downplayed how much he'd craved a father during his childhood. He had always put on a brave face but she'd seen the longing in his eyes when he'd watched other kids playing with their dads, and although her own father had always tried to include him in family things it just wasn't the same.

"Yeah it sucks you didn't have your dad around, but you're right, some fathers aren't worth having."

Haley glanced up at the tone in Nathan's voice. She remembered him making a few small comments here and there which had led her to believe that not everything had been perfect in the relationship between father and son, but there was a harshness in his voice which made her suspect that something larger had been at play. The guilt inside her grew. If she hadn't been so determined to avoid talking about Dan Scott in order to ease her own guilt over the secret she kept, she would have been a better friend and noticed this earlier.

"Are you okay Tutorgirl?" Brooke asked noticing her friend's sudden loss of color. When she didn't answer she tapped her shoulder which caused Haley to jolt from the stool, spilling her coffee in her room mates lap. Brooke squealed, jumping from her seat and sending her own cup flying, the coffee pooling on the counter and dripping onto the floor.

Nathan and Luke both snickered watching the girls frantically trying to clean up the mess, knowing how they both hated the boys spilling a drop of anything.

"You will never guess what happened last night." Mouth announced as he came flying through the doorway, stopping in his tracks as he noticed Brooke jumping up and down and wiping at a large stain on her crotch and Haley on her hands and knees wiping up the spill with some paper towelling.

"You got laid?" Nathan asked with a chuckle seeing how hyped up the other boy was. Haley stood and threw the toweling in the rubbish, rolled her eyes at Nathan before elbow him in the ribs for his typical guy comment.

"What? No. But I hear you did." Mouth smirked, laughing at Haley's blush. Haley and Nathan both turned towards Brooke who had the good grace to look guilty about having called him after catching the couple in bed.

"I got promoted. I'm now the head sports writer on the college paper."

"That's awesome Mouth!" Haley squealed, so happy for her friend who she knew was going to go far in his chosen career.

The others congratulated him as well and as he stepped forward, he noticed the food on the counter. "Ooh. Nathan brought bagels."

"Help yourself, man." Nathan offered pointing to the leftovers.

"I love these bagels. Dude, seriously, these are the best things ever."

Brooke took hold of Mouth's wrist as he reached for the plate and instead picked one bagel off and handed it to him. "I've got dibs on the leftovers. Don't even think of eating more than one."

"But I'm starving Brooke. I haven't eaten anything at all this morning."

"Then get your own boyfriend to buy you bagels."

"Hey! Nathan buys them for Haley. They're not even yours. What if Nathan wants me to have the leftovers instead of you, huh?"

"Touch more than one and I'll ram the leftovers down your throat until you choke. The bagels are mine."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two friends glaring at each other like they were ready to duel.

"Bagel Nazi!" Mouth huffed quickly spreading it with cream cheese before almost devouring it whole.

"Jesus Mouth. You really weren't kidding, were you? I think I've seen wild animals eat with more manners than you." Haley joked.

Poking his tongue out at her and noticing the half eaten bagel on her plate, Mouth swallowed and replied. "I'm surprised you don't need more sustenance yourself after your bedroom gymnastics last night, Hales." Satisfied that his teasing had silence her, Mouth took another bite, moaning about how good it was.

"Okay. Enough's enough. It's like listening to you talk about my little sister." Shuddering in disgust, Lucas stood up from his stool and grabbed Brooke's hand.

Watching the couple retreat to Brooke's room, Mouth frowned wondering what he'd said. Turning back to others he found Haley glaring at him and Nathan grinning as Lucas cursed and slammed the bedroom door.

"What? He's going to have to get used to the two of you doing the wild thing. I've heard you jump on that bed Haley, and it's got some major spring squakage going on, not to mention that these walls are paper thin. He must have heard everything last night. Hope you're not a screamer."

Haley's jaw dropped and she questioned ever introducing Mouth to Brooke. It was like her inappropriate comments were contagious. She grabbed Nathan's hand and headed for her room, stopping to smack Mouth upside the head on her way.

Looking around the empty suite Mouth grinned, pulling the plate of bagels in front of him possessively and whispered to himself with a grin. "More for me suckers."

Just as he was about to take a bite he heard Brooke's authoritative voice call though the door. "Touch those bagels and you die McFadden!"

Glancing between the closed door and the plate of bagel-y goodness, Mouth smirked before taking a bite. "Mmm... so worth it."


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing and just supporting me and this story in general. I had a little (ok, maybe a lot) of trouble getting this update finished but overall I'm satisfied with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it.

I also need to thank Molly (diamondmolls) and Dawn (BabbleBaby) for their help and encouragement with this update. Oh, and CATerina of course for regularly demanding updates lol

**Warning:** Once again there are some scenes which are a little more adult themed than usual in this update, but I don't think it warrants raising the rating to an 'M'. I don't think anyone will find it inappropriate but here is the warning if you are sensitive to such material.

* * *

As they exited the little lounge bar where Nathan had taken her to see a local band she'd mentioned during the week, Haley looked around the quiet street and smiled. "So what's next Mr. Scott?"

Nathan squeezed her hand, enjoying the feel of their fingers interlocked, announcing to everyone around them that they were together; that she was his girl.

"Well, I am tempted to take you back to my place so I can make sure that I found all of that macaroni." He whispered huskily, eyeing off the low cut neckline of her top.

Haley blushed and ducked her head, embarrassed. Nathan had taken her to a nice little restaurant for the first part of their date and somehow she'd managed to drop her second mouthful of food down her top where it had securely lodged in her cleavage. If that hadn't been embarrassing enough, he'd stood up and walked around to her side of the table, kissing her while covertly reaching into her top for the lost piece of macaroni. She'd been so caught up in his kiss that she'd let him get away with it, not registering if other diners could see what was going. When he'd finally ended the kiss, she'd realized just what he'd done and almost choked when she watched him place the macaroni in his mouth with a wink.

Thankfully as she'd glanced around she'd found no one paying any attentions to them and using the spill as an excuse, she'd quickly raced off to the bathroom to calm her racing heart and cool down. Damn that had been hot and rather than finishing their dinner, she'd wanted to race home and have her way with him.

"Will you ever shut up about that?" she asked, playfully reaching across to smack his arm as he teased her about the incident again.

"Of course," he said, squeezing her hand "when you do your next embarrassing thing to keep me amused."

Waiting for retaliation, Nathan smirked, loving how he could fire her up. She was just so much fun to be around when she got worked up; she was just great to be around in general. He couldn't remember enjoying anyone's company so much before; especially not a girls. Sometimes it felt like hanging around one of the guys, but thankfully she was definitely not one of the guys. She was one damn sexy woman. He was taken by surprise when instead of telling him off; she squeezed his hand and laid her head upon his shoulder.

"You play it mean, but you're such a sweetie sometimes."

Nathan scoffed, quickly standing still and tugging her back to him when she kept walking. "I am not 'a sweetie'" he growled.

"You so are." Haley laughed taking in his defensive pose and the way he was pouting his gorgeous lips. "I've eaten at that restaurant before and they most certainly do not serve mac and cheese. The poor waiter looked like it was killing him just to offer it as a special."

Nathan looked away and she could tell he was a little embarrassed. "I know you organized that 'menu special' just for me and I think it's the sweetest thing you could have done for me tonight."

"James, are you trying to emasculate me? No guy wants his girlfriend to call him sweet. Hot? Yes! Sexy? Yes! But not sweet; you can leave that little endearment for the girls in your life like Brooke and Lucas."

Ignoring his petulant tone and his jibe at her best friend, Haley could only focus on his words. They'd been spending so much time together in the last week since admitting their feelings and unfortunately they hadn't been able to stop themselves making out long enough to have a conversation about their relationship. She'd been determined every night to discuss what they were doing and where they stood with one another, but somehow she never seemed to have the strength to pull away from his amazing lips and hands and tongue…

"Girlfriend?" she asked, looking up at him with a hesitant smile.

Nathan's brow furrowed for a moment before releasing her hand so that he could cup her face. "I guess I never really asked, huh?"

His low whisper made her shiver and she shook her head, biting her lip.

"You're making a habit of that you know." She said teasingly, reminding him of how she'd have to remind him to ask her out on a date properly.

"Will you be my girlfriend Haley James?"

"Oh, I suppose I'll put up with you until someone better comes along." She replied airily with a cheeky grin, which soon disappeared as Nathan lowered his lips to meet hers in what she assumed was meant to be a punishing kiss… but it certainly wasn't punishment for her. It was never a bad thing kissing this boy.

She sighed as he pulled away and stared into her eyes, brushing his thumbs along her cheekbones, something he'd discovered made her weak at the knees. He leaned back in and whispered against her lips.

"The girlfriend thing may have only just become official James, but you've been my girl for a long time now."

Did he have any idea what his words could do to her? She was already half way in love with him and knew it wouldn't take much to fall for him completely. Her lips parted on a sigh and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, which she eagerly returned. Damn, their mouths were melded together so often someone was going to have to pry them apart one day, but she honestly didn't care. There was nothing better than kissing Nathan Scott.

It wasn't until someone bumped into them that they realized they were making out in the middle of the sidewalk, something Haley had always thought was inconsiderate. Now she understood how things got out of control so easily. Blushing again, she grabbed Nathan's hand and began walking.

"So did you have anything else planned or can I choose something for us to do?"

"That could be dangerous. I had thought of taking you dancing but you'd never let yourself be seen with me again in public so that idea is out. What did you have in mind?" Nathan asked with a smirk.

"Have you still got a spare basketball in your car?" Haley asked and when he raised his eyebrow mockingly she laughed. Of course he did.

"Great. Let's go then."

Haley directed Nathan as he drove and when they reached a small, run down looking basketball court, he turned to her questioningly.

"You took me to see a band tonight… and before you even try to deny it; I know you hated them, so I thought it was time to do something you like."

"You want to watch me play basketball… by myself?"

"No. Although if you went shirtless I would be plenty entertained." She quipped wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Actually, I thought maybe we could have that dance here in private because I'd hate to have to relieve you of your boyfriend status so quickly."

Although he laughed at her joke, even just the thought of not being with Haley sent a sliver of discomfort running through him.

"Then perhaps you could teach me how to shoot a goal or whatever and maybe even explain why you love this game so much. Basketball is a huge part of your life Nathan and I really want to understand that."

Nathan saw the sincerity in her eyes and it floored him. No one had ever asked why he loved the game; had never really cared. All that had mattered was that he was good and his talent could take him places… which usually meant they could get something out of it as well. He watched as she searched for a radio station and selected one that was playing some god awful ballad but would probably be good for dancing. He really was going to make a dick of himself because he couldn't dance for crap.

"Let's see if your moves off the court are as graceful as they are on the court."

As he followed her out of the car and onto the grass beside the court Nathan joked. "If you want to see how good my moves are baby, we should take this conversation to the back seat."

"Hmm. Yet to be proven so I'll reserve judgment. Although they do say that the way a man dances reflects his ability in bed." As Haley watched his face fall she knew she was getting to him. He'd mentioned once in passing how badly he danced and she was enjoying teasing him about this.

When he saw her chuckle, Nathan realized what she'd been doing and quickly reached out for her, lifting her in his arms and throwing her over his shoulder. Her loud squeals were filled with laughter, a sound he knew he'd never get tired of hearing.

"Put me down!"

"Let's get a few things straight first. One. That dancing theory is bullshit. And Two. I am fan-fucking-tastic in bed… something you will at some point discover and then be forced to apologize profusely for ever doubting me for."

"Can we dance now?" she asked, rolling her eyes at his cockiness and laughing as he patted her ass and put her back on her feet.

Nathan pulled her into his arms and swayed along with her to the music coming from inside the car. He knew it wasn't technically dancing, something he loathed, but it was close enough and for the first time in his life he was enjoying it. He liked the way their bodies molded against each other, causing a slight friction that was both heady and arousing. She smelled great too, and as she rested her head on his chest he took the opportunity to enjoy her distinctly fresh scent. He'd always preferred blondes in high school; the more fake the better. But he could never go back to that now; not after waking up in the mornings to see Haley's gorgeous mahogany locks spread over his pillow.

After dancing through a few songs, she pulled away and looked up at him with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Anything for you James."

"Anything?"

He looked at her suspiciously before nodding his head.

"There's something else I'd really like for you to do for me on our date." He didn't respond, but she could see him eyeing her warily. "I'd love to watch you on the court for a while… shirtless."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise before a smirk graced his lips.

"Okay. I'm cool with that." His smirk widened before he tugged on the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head. Haley was terrible at hiding her emotions and the way her mouth parted slightly and her eyes darkened he knew she was turned on. He was definitely glad that their dance affected her just as much as it had him.

"Show pony."

"Eh, you love it." Nathan picked up the ball and placed a quick kiss on her lips before racing towards the basket and slamming the ball through the hoop, hanging from the rim for a few seconds and then dropping back to the ground. She hated being a typical girl, but damn that move was sexy as hell.

"Somehow I don't think I'll ever be doing that no matter how much time you spend teaching me."

Nathan laughed and dribbled the ball along the court before shooting a three pointer that flew straight through the air and into the basket. "How'd you find out about this place anyway? It's really out of the way."

"When I got accepted to Duke, Lucas and I came here to check out the campus and the town. We were just driving around and he spotted this court. I guess this used to be a popular playground at some point but it's kind of been left abandoned at some point. Anyway, Luke loves his basketball and figured it would be somewhere he could come and hang out when he's visiting."

Nathan realized that any jealousy he felt at the sound of Luke's name had lessened recently. Before he and Haley had gotten together there'd always been a little question in the back of his mind about whether there was more to their relationship than just best friends, but it had disappeared now. There was still an element of envy there for all of the time and memories the two of them had; for that place in Haley's life that he'd never been a part of, and he still worried a little that Lucas would always be more important in her life, but up to this point she'd shown him no reason to think he'd be pushed aside for her best friend.

"Lucas played in high school?"

"Yeah, he was on the varsity team but even though he loved the game, he was never passionate about the way you are. He didn't want the career."

She liked this; this easy conversation as she sat on a bench courtside watching him play, obviously enjoying himself. There was no denying how much this game was in his blood. It was like he felt most at ease with himself when on the court.

"When did you start playing?"

Nathan laughed and the sound held a tinge of bitterness; certainly not the beautiful laugh he graced her with so often recently.

"My dad always says…" he paused for a moment, shaking his head and then continued "_said_ that I was training to be a star even in the womb."

She decided not to say anything, wanting to give him a chance to continue on his own. One part of her wanted to know as a caring girlfriend, but there was still that part of her who came to Duke determined to find out more about Dan Scott, and unfortunately she'd intended to use Nathan for the sake of getting information for her best friend. It was so tempting to just tell him the truth, to admit now the secret she'd been holding inside, but she couldn't do it. If she was going to tell them, then both Nathan and Lucas had to be told together otherwise it would be like choosing and that was something she'd been trying to avoid. She knew both boys had issues with the prospect of her choosing one of them over the other and she wouldn't do that; couldn't do it. She was almost tempted to the change the subject so she wouldn't have to feel so guilty, but if Nathan needed to talk about this then she wanted to let him. She'd have to deal with her guilt later.

"My dad was the star player of his high school team just like me, but he blew his knee out in college and couldn't go any further. From the day I could hold a ball I was being molded into the player he always wanted to be. But I wouldn't be here at Duke without his… encouragement, so I guess I owe it all to him anyway."

There was something wrong here, something very wrong. She had wondered previously if Nathan's relationship with his father was strained and now she had the feeling that Dan had pushed his son too hard, too far and expected too much. And for Nathan to think that he'd only gotten this far because of his father… well that was ridiculous. She watched him at the games, saw how early he got up to go to practices and how often he worked out in his own time. He gave more dedication to this game than she'd ever seen anyone give to anything.

Haley walked over to where Nathan stood on the court. "Your father might have pushed and supported you Nathan, but it's _your_ talent, _your_ hard work and _your_ dedication that has gotten you this far. Our parents will always have an influence over our lives and sometimes over our achievements but this is all you, Nathan."

When he looked at her so intensely she thought she'd melt.

"Thank you." He leaned in and kissed her quickly before pulling away, the intensity of his gaze now gone. "You should be a cheerleader you know. You've definitely got a knack for pep talks."

Haley laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'm hardly cheerleader material. I prefer to keep most of my body covered when in public."

Nathan inwardly smirked as he imagined his girlfriend in a cheerleading uniform. She had a hot little body and dancing around in the short skirt would be a huge turn on. Maybe he could 'borrow' a uniform and get her to wear it one day.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked warily.

"Nothing. I know you're not like that; dancing around in public in barely there clothing isn't really your style."

She knew he meant nothing by the comment and it was probably intended as more of a compliment but it rankled anyway. It's not like she went around dressed from head to toe like an old maid. She was secure in Nathan's feelings for her and had no doubt that he wanted her, but that didn't stop her old insecurities from popping up occasionally. There was a small part of her that worried about not being part of the popular crowd, or one of the usual hot blondes that the basketball players dated. It was strange because she'd never allowed herself to be ruled by such superficial worries before, but sometimes she still couldn't believe Nathan wanted her when half the girls on campus would willingly give him whatever he wanted.

Nathan saw the slight frown on her face and realized his comment must have come across as offensive. He certainly hadn't meant it that way but he felt bad all the same. Before he could even open his mouth to take it back he froze as he watched Haley look up at him with a saucy grin before quickly taking off her top just as he'd done earlier; the only indication that she was nervous at all was the way she wrung the material in her hands. Then he noticed that she was shaking slightly and with the air being so warm, he knew it was nerves.

"How's this for 'not my style'?" she asked haughtily doing a fine job of hiding the quiver in her voice.

"James, I didn't mean anything by my comment. You don't have to strip off to prove anything to me."

Haley narrowed her eyes in warning that if he didn't want to get himself into trouble he'd stop talking before digging himself a deeper grave.

He refrained from saying anything further and let his gaze slide down her body. Damn she looked amazing in her black boots, fitted hipster jeans that showed every curve of her body to perfection and a bra that God himself must have designed to flaunt the assets he'd given her. It was a cute little pink and white polka dot cotton bra; not a scrap of lace or satin but the sexiest thing he'd ever seen because she was wearing it. How on earth was he supposed to keep talking to her when she was standing there looking tempting as hell.

"God you look amazing." He breathed out shakily.

"Thank you." She replied primly, wanting to appear unaffected; trying to hide her blush at his words and the way he was looking at her as though he'd like to rip off the rest of her clothes and have his way with her there on the court. "Now are you going to teach me how to shoot a goal or not?"

"It's a basket, not a goal." He laughed at her terminology, glad for the distraction. He'd been sleeping in the same bed as her for a while now and had been making out with her for a whole week, but he'd never been as turned on by her as he was now. When she dropped her top to the ground and moved toward him taking the ball from his hands, he frowned.

"Aren't you going to put it back on?"

"Are you?" she asked with the ball in one hand and the other hand on her hip in a pose that was meant to be challenging, but instead just made him think she should have her own pin up calendar. Basketball and Haley. His two favorite things. He wouldn't mind looking at that calendar every day of the year.

"If you want me to."

"Um… let me think about that… No." she laughed, "I like you this way… but if you want me to put mine back on…"

Nathan took a quick glance around them. The park was surrounded by trees and far away enough from the closest houses that they wouldn't be able to see them clearly. It was so quiet that they'd hear a car coming so the chances of getting caught, or more specifically of any other guy seeing his girl in her bra, were slim to none. He could see the teasing in her eyes and he felt a sense a pride knowing that she was so comfortable with him. From his own experience with her and the stories she'd told him about herself, he knew that she would never be standing here like this with just anyone. He wasn't going to put a dent in her confidence by asking her to get dressed. It was obvious how liberating this little experience was for her.

"Hell no!" he growled, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against his chest, almost hissing as their skin connected. The tension between them was palpable, his jeans beginning to get a little tight and it was obvious she noticed as her eyes widened and she smiled shyly. If he didn't pull away from her soon things would get out of hand.

"Okay. So now it's my turn to be the tutor." He said, trying to keep the huskiness out of his voice as he took the ball back and moved further onto the court.

Haley smiled, reveling in the effect she had on him. She loved that he wanted her over all other girls; that they'd made a connection he hadn't been able to make with anyone else. Nathan made no secret of his past with other girls and while he told her that rumors had dramatically exaggerated it, he had been honest and admitted that he'd led a bit of a party lifestyle in his senior year. He'd briefly mentioned that his change of attitude and behavior had come with the death of his father and his need to be a better guy. After their conversation tonight she couldn't help but wonder if that had meant Nathan needed to be a better man than his father had been, rather than being a better guy to make his father proud. Considering Dan had left Karen pregnant and then moved on to Nathan's mother, she couldn't say she'd be surprised if he hadn't exactly been a good guy.

She took pleasure in his restrained touch as he showed her the correct stance for shooting a free throw. Every time their skin touched it was like a little jolt of electricity tying them tighter together in a knot of sexual tension. She knew he was struggling for composure, but that didn't stop her from wriggling her but against him as she widened her stance.

"Haley." he warned. His use of her first name indicating he was almost at breaking point and although she was tempted to take it there, realizing she was ready to move their relationship along and have sex with him; this was hardly the time or place.

Currently her hands were holding the ball, with Nathan's over the top of hers guiding her and as much as she knew she shouldn't do it, Haley dropped the ball, moving her hands so that they covered his and placed them on her breasts, her head falling back against his chest at the contact. His whole body went stiff for a moment and she heard him suck in a shallow breath before he relaxed again and began massaging her breasts through the cotton of her bra. He leaned down to kiss her neck, driving her crazy.

Nathan couldn't take it any longer. He had to kiss her, taste her mouth. Spinning her around, he pulled their bodies flush against each other and fisted a hand in her hair holding her in place as he devoured her with his mouth. She matched his enthusiasm, kissing him like she'd never done before, like she'd drown if she didn't drink him in. Their hands were searching, touching and caressing each other's bare skin before Nathan moved his slowly down her back and over her ass, pulling her even closer against him so she could feel just what she was doing to him.

"Okay. That's enough."

The couple jumped apart at the harsh voice and found a police man standing only a few feet away, looking extremely unimpressed with their current predicament. Haley was frozen; so mortified by the two of them being caught in only their shoes and jeans - and thankfully her bra - that she didn't even register the fact that her hands had fallen to her side rather than moved to cover her herself.

After the first moment of shock passed, Nathan realized that his girlfriend was standing in front of another man in her bra, and uncaring that it was a police officer, he growled low in his throat, pulling Haley behind him and shooting the other man a glare.

"You can stop looking now." Nathan stated with a hard edge to his voice.

"Believe me; I have better things to do than stare at horny college students acting inappropriately in public places. Now get your clothes on and find somewhere else to take this."

Haley felt the muscles in Nathan's back tense up even further and the last thing they needed was to be taken into the stations, so she placed a calming hand on his back.

"C'mon. Let's just get out of here."

* * *

Nathan took Haley's key from her and opened the door to her suite. She had recovered from the earlier incident well and after getting dressed, they'd decided to call it a night. They'd spent the ride home debating whether or not the officer had been staring at her breasts, but no matter how many times Haley denied it and stated Nathan was being all macho and territorial, he wouldn't budge. Seriously, what normal guy wouldn't stare at her breasts? They were beautiful. They were perfect. She was perfect. That's what she didn't understand; every single guy out there would be an idiot to pass up an opportunity to look at her because it was a sight that could take your breath away.

Now that she was home, the memories of the incident at the court seemed like a dream and reliving the moment, she could see the funny side of it all.

"You are such a bad influence on me Nathan. If I keep up this behavior my life will turn into one of those Girls Gone Wild specials." She said, her words filled with awe.

"You don't sound too upset about that. I thought you'd be freaking out by now." Nathan chuckled, honestly surprised by how calm she was taking all of this.

Shaking her head, she smiled and made her way into the bedroom with Nathan following. "I don't know. I should. I mean, normally I would but I feel like a different person, like I'm free and adventurous and exciting."

"You are that person James. You're all of those things. Sometimes it just takes a while to let that side of you come out."

"It's you. You bring out that side of me."

"It isn't me, but as long as I'm the guy by your side while you're doing all these crazy things then I'm happy."

"You know what would be really crazy? She asked, her voice taking on a new sexy tone.

He gulped, wondering how he was going to survive another night cuddled up to her when she was getting harder and harder to resist. He'd never push her, but damn he wanted her so badly. "What?"

"It would be crazy for us to spend another night in this bed not doing what I know we both want to be doing."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm tired of waiting. We both want this and whether it happens tonight or in a months time it's not going to make a difference."

Closing the door and locking it behind him, Nathan stalked across the room and took her mouth in a fiery kiss. Now that he knew she wanted this as much as him, he couldn't hold back. Their previous intimacies had been hot as hell, but always began slow and held a measure of wariness, both knowing that they needed to hold back a little and not unleash their desires completely until they were willing to follow them through to the end. This was different. There was no holding back, no slow gentle teasing, just raw unadulterated passion. Mouths clashed, nails scraped and clothes went flying until they tumbled onto the bed in a jumbled mass of limbs.

"Do you have condoms?" Nathan asked between kisses.

Pulling away, Haley reached into her bedside draw and withdrew a packet of unopened condoms with a shy smile. "I bought some the other day. I wasn't sure how long we could hold out."

"Now that is why you're a tutor, because you are one very smart cookie James." Nathan chuckled, thinking of the packet at home that he'd purchased recently in case they ended up back at his place one night.

"Haley."

"Yeah?"

"Um… are you? I mean have you…"

"I'm not a virgin if that's what you're trying to ask me."

Nathan flushed red, feeling like a schoolboy with his first girlfriend. He'd had to ask though, because she wasn't the type to sleep around and if this was her first time he would be extra careful.

"But thanks for asking." She whispered against his lips.

Rather than returning to their heated desperation, their ministrations slowed down as they enjoyed each other, taking their time to explore each other in a way they hadn't done before. As Nathan touched her more intimately than ever before, Haley thought she'd gone to heaven and soon found herself begging for him to enter her which he did with one hard thrust. Their bodies moved together, hands caressing, mouths joining as their need for one another reached boiling point. With her legs locked around his waist, Haley urged him on, feeling the tension in his back and knowing that he was close.

Looking down into her eyes, Nathan felt a shiver run down his spine. This was new; so very different to anything he'd ever experienced before and he didn't think he'd ever feel so amazing again in his life. She was so beautiful lying beneath him and with her head tipped back, her body arching into him she shuddered sending them both over the edge.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked when he'd rolled over and pulled her into his side.

"Okay does not even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now."

"That was pretty amazing wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah." She replied, still slightly out of breath. She looked up to see him smirking at her, obviously pleased to have performed to her satisfaction. "I guess I do owe you that apology, because yes Nathan, you were fan-fucking-tastic."

Nathan laughed, pleased by her teasing. Haley hadn't been the only one concerned that sleeping together would affect their relationship and sharing this banter helped to ease fears that it would change them.

"You were pretty fan-fucking-tastic yourself James… I can't believe we waited so long to do that."

"It's only been a week Nathan." She laughed into his chest.

"Baby, we've been together a week, but I've wanted you for a hell of a lot longer than that." The combination of his words and his hand caressing her back had her feeling ready for round two.

"Hey, you just got lucky on the first date Mister. By any guys standards you've got nothing to complain about."

Tilting her chin up so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes, Nathan whispered. "Believe me; I know just how lucky I am."


	14. Chapter 14

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and most imporantly for waiting patiently for this update. It took a bit longer than I'd like but it's finally here. I'd also like to thank Dawn (BabbleBaby), Molly (diamondmolls) and Kris (OTH.daddy'sgurl.06) for their help and encouragement with this update.

* * *

Dunking her already soggy fry back into the ketchup, Haley sighed remembering her earlier phone conversation with Karen. It was the third time she'd tried to convince the woman to tell Luke the truth and this time she'd been more forceful. All of this lying was wearing her down and she needed it to stop. Haley had given the woman three weeks before she would tell him herself. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done because Karen was like a mother to her and she knew that she wasn't trying to be deceitful, she was just being uncharacteristically weak and Haley was having trouble reconciling this Karen with the woman who'd raised a son and built up a successful business on her own.

Not only was she betraying her best friend who trusted her implicitly, she was also lying to her boyfriend; had been lying to him since the beginning and it was not a good foundation for a relationship. She couldn't even bring herself to think about how he was going to take the fact that she'd been keeping this secret from him. Shivering at the thought, she shoveled the disgusting cafeteria fries into her mouth and chewed forcefully. In a few short weeks she was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"Hey"

Her shiver of worry, soon transformed into one of delight, a grin spreading across her face as Nathan sat on the bench, straddling it so he could face her. Awareness flowed through her in the same way it had done every time he was around in the two days since their relationship had become more intimate. It was like their bodies were in tune with one another and whenever he was near, hers reacted in the most lustful of ways. God, if there weren't other people around, she'd jump him.

It were the little things he did that were different than before. Things had changed after they'd gotten together. To the outside world they were still the same two friends who were overly affectionate, but unbeknownst to anyone else, the two shared a newfound confidence and familiarity; their touches now lingered, their looks filled with heat and stolen kisses were an everyday part of their lives. She smiled as he placed a hand on her thigh beneath the table, his fingers caressing her through the denim of her jeans, the fabric not barrier enough to stop her skin from burning at his touch.

"Hi." She said, clearing her throat and simultaneously trying to clear her mind of lustful thoughts. "How did the meeting go?"

"Great. Professor Hadley has been forced to take paid leave until all the complaints against him have been investigated. There are six others, James. He's toast."

The smile that lit up his face made her heart flip and she could understand his happiness. He'd been skipping Hadley's class for a couple of weeks now and he needed that class for his degree, something that she was sure nobody else thought he was taking seriously, but Nathan wanted to graduate because he earned it, not because of his basketball prowess.

"Aw, that's awesome." She said before throwing her arms around him in a hug. She was just so proud of him for standing up for himself and having the guts to report their professor. The news was also good for her because to say the professor had made lectures uncomfortable for her was an understatement. He'd constantly asked her difficult questions and argued every point with her even if the whole class knew he agreed with her viewpoint anyway. But she refused to back down to a bully and had stuck it out, positive that he'd get what he deserved.

"I couldn't have done it without you, James." He whispered, placing a soft kiss on the sensitive skin of her neck. She sighed at the sensations the touch of his lips evoked in her and tamped down the urge to turn her head and devour his lips in the middle of the cafeteria.

"Nathan, people will notice." She whispered shyly as he continued to place soft kisses along her neck. She knew it would simply look like they were hugging, but it suddenly felt like all eyes in the room were upon them. Pulling away regretfully she glanced around her.

"Nobody's staring."

"It feels like they are." She pouted, glancing surreptitiously around her.

"Babe, they've been talking about us for months now. We've always been a topic of conversation… especially the 'are they or aren't they' question that has been doing the rounds since we became friends." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and frowned, "Would it really be that bad if they did know?"

"No... I don't know. I guess I'm just not used to so much attention. I've finally gotten used to people gossiping about our friendship, but I can't even imagine what it will be like if they find out we're together."

"If?" Nathan asked raising an eyebrow. "Are you embarrassed by our relationship?"

"What? No of course not." She denied vehemently knowing she would never be ashamed of being with him. Reaching out for his hand she knocked her can of coke off the table, the drink splashing all over the floor and narrowly missing their legs.

"Well if they weren't staring before, they are now." Nathan smirked as he watched her face flame with embarrassment and he wondered how he'd ever fallen for such a klutz. Being an athlete, he'd always had great reflexes and a natural graceful movement - well except for dancing. If it was any more than holding his partner and swaying softly, then he was a total spaz – but with everything else he'd always been so… non-klutzy.

She chuckled at herself, the bloom on her cheeks now a rosy pink. She was so damn pretty when she blushed and his thoughts soon turned to how a similar flush of color would cover skin when she got turned on. He had to put a stop to those thoughts before he tortured himself. He'd been late for practice this morning because he couldn't resist her heavenly body and here he was just hours later and he was already wanting more. He always wanted more of Haley James.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, placing the now half empty can on the table. She knew that look and it usually led to no good.

"You said you're not embarrassed by us, right?"

"I'm not. I promise." She declared staring him straight in the eye. She couldn't stand the thought of him thinking that.

"Then you won't mind if I do this." He smirked, before wrapping an arm behind her back and dipping her off the back of the bench, her squeal of surprise cut short as his mouth descended upon hers. It only took a moment for the tense hands grasping his shoulders to relax and slip up to loop around his neck as she opened herself up for his kiss. She was so damn responsive in the most natural way. There was no artifice, no seduction, just genuine desire and he'd never enjoyed kissing anyone more.

They lost themselves in the kiss, the fact that they were in the middle of the cafeteria fleeing their minds completely. It wasn't until they heard the clearing of throats and a very familiar chuckle that the couple broke apart; Haley hiding her face against his chest, not wanting to see what would most likely be half the school watching them.

"God, get a room you two." Brooke joked as she sat across from them, Mouth and Erica sliding onto the bench next to her with knowing grins on their faces.

"You really have impeccable timing don't you, Brooke?" Nathan growled, stroking his hand down Haley's hair, the fact that she was still practically burrowing into his shirt a sign of just how embarrassed she was.

"Hey! I was doing you a favor. It looked like the two of you were about to give half the school a live version of Dirty College Co-eds – great movie by the way. It's where I learnt my best…"

"Brooke!" Mouth clapped his hand over her mouth to stop her from continuing. His relationship with Erica was new and he wasn't sure if she was ready for a full introduction to the world of Brooke.

The brunette rolled her eyes and muttered 'prude' under her breath before focusing back on the couple across from her. "Anyways, it's not like I'd have minded the live show. I get the audio through the walls at home, but it just isn't the same without the picture… but I really don't think Tutorgirl would have recovered from it. She's not the exhibitionist type."

"Unlike someone I know." Mouth snickered under his breath earning a glare from his friend followed by an elbow to the ribs.

"Shut up," she laughed knowing it was true.

Haley who had finally lifted her head from her boyfriend's chest watched her two friends fighting and smiled. They really were hilarious the way they teased and cajoled each other one moment and then gossiped like fourteen year old school girls the next.

Eating some fries, Haley kept her eyes on her plate, not daring to look around. "Is everyone staring?"

Her friends were conspicuously quiet before Erica spoke up. "Not everyone..."

She felt Nathan's hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly and he scooted closer so that she was almost sitting between his legs sideways. "It's okay babe. This is what they've been wondering for months. Now that they know and there's no mystery anymore, the talk will stop pretty soon. I don't think college students have the greatest attention spans."

Taking a deep breath Haley lifted her head and looked around her finding almost everyone staring at them. Surprisingly it wasn't as bad as she thought. Most guys were smirking and she assumed they'd all been placing bets on the fact that Nathan had been bagging his tutor, some girls chattered away looking curious, probably wondering why on Earth the school's star basketball player had chosen to date such a nobody, and then there were the other girls; the ones sending a thousand death glares her way. Man, if looks could kill she'd be six feet under.

"He's totally right Tutorgirl. You'll be old news by tomorrow." Brooke agreed with an encouraging smile. "Actually… I heard this morning that Susan Meyers, the gymnastics captain, is up the duff; I'm sure everyone will be talking about that pretty soon. It's not like she'll be able to hide a baby bump under her leotards."

"Brooke! Don't spread rumors! It's nasty."

"What? It's not my fault her default setting is 'easy'. No wonder she's so good at the splits… her legs are practically open 24/7."

This time Erica spoke up unexpectedly. "Actually it is true. One of the reporters on the paper is writing a piece about teen pregnancies at the moment."

"You're going to include her in the college paper?" Haley asked horrified.

The blonde shrugged, not looking all that apologetic. "It's news Haley. That's what journalism is about, reporting news and stories that are of interest to the general public. It's not our place to decide if what the public finds interesting is right or wrong."

"But these are people's lives you're messing with. What if it was a friend of yours?"

"It's business." She replied with another shrug, Mouth looking slightly uneasy beside her.

Haley frowned at Erica, looking at her friend's new girlfriend in a new light. She'd always seemed nice enough if not a little over ambitious but she'd never expected the girl to be quite so ruthless. Oh well, it was Mouth's business not hers.

"You finished?" Nathan whispered, leaning in close to her ear. He knew she was uncomfortable and he didn't want her to stay if she'd rather get out of there. "The cleaners will fix this mess after later."

She blushed again at her klutziness and nodded her head. "Yeah. Let's go."

Standing, Nathan held out his hand and helped her over the bench. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close and they headed for the exit, Nathan placing a kiss on her hair. Rather than feeling embarrassed at the attention, Haley felt a swell of pride to have this gorgeous, sweet-hearted guy beside her and to know that he was proud to be by her side. She smiled up at him and he placed a quick kiss on her lips before lowering his hand from her back to rest on her ass, squeezing it tightly and chuckling at her incredulous gasp. She would have scolded him, but at the sound of the students behind them laughing along with him, she couldn't seem to muster one ounce of annoyance. Instead she took his hand and pulled him to a stop kissing him with everything she had. If these people wanted a show, then they'd get their damn show. With the trouble she and Nathan had keeping their hands and mouths to themselves it was probably better to get people used to it now rather than later anyway.

"Maybe Brooke was wrong… you are an exhibitionist." Nathan murmured against her lips.

"What can I say? You make me do crazy things."

Resting his forehead against hers he smiled, linking their fingers together. "And you make me feel crazy things."

Before she could ponder the comment, his lips were on hers again and she lost herself to their kiss ignoring everything around them. Nothing was going to interrupt them this time. Whistles and catcalls be damned.

* * *

Haley rolled her eyes before elbowing her boyfriend for the hundredth time since the movie began. He'd brought her to see the movie she'd missed out on last time due to him running late and throwing popcorn in her eye… only she seemed to have missed most of it again - this time because they'd been too busy making out in the back row of the almost empty cinema. Neither of them had any classes that afternoon so they'd decided to catch an early session of the movie and eat dinner afterwards… except Nathan seemed to be hungry now… for her! Not that she was innocent at all. She was so turned on that she'd had to put an end to their fooling around before she jumped him right there in the dark.

"Nathan. I thought we were going to actually watch the last twenty minutes of the movie. That funny sex scene is supposed to be coming up."

He simply smirked and leaned back in to kiss her neck, the feel of his lips and tongue driving her crazy and making her own resolve to behave herself weaken. "Why bother? We missed the first three quarters so there's not point now… besides, I'd rather do this."

Nathan smiled against her skin when he heard chuckling and he knew he had her. Moving his hand up her denim clad thigh he ran it along the warm skin of her stomach, delighting in the way her breath caught in her throat. Unable to take it any longer, he used his other hand to turn her face to him and captured her lips in a searing kiss, devouring her as much as he could in a public place. When he felt her hand on his, he thought it was all over and that she would end his exploration of her soft skin, but instead she pushed his hand aside and undid the buttons of her low-rise jeans. He pulled away from their kiss to look at her questioningly and she graced him with a sexy smirk before taking his hand and guiding it down her stomach and under her panties until he reached the place she wanted him to be. Damn she was already wet for him. Why did they have to be in a public place right now?

She tried to kiss him, but he shook his head before running his fingers over her experimentally to see just how aroused she was, and when her head fell back and she drew in a shaky breath he realized she was damn close to losing it. He smirked at the thought. He loved knowing how much she wanted him.

Slipping a finger inside her he struggled to keep his own eyes open at the feel of her heat around him then slipped in another digit, and watching her biting her lip, he knew she was just about ready to come so he increased his movements until she contracted around him, her heavy breathing thankfully drowned out by the sound of the movie blaring through the speakers. Moving his fingers slowly he drew out her pleasure and this time accepted her kiss when she sought him out, their tongues caressing languorously as she came down from her climax.

"God you look so sexy right now." He whispered against her lips before moving away and smiling at her flushed face.

"I can't believe we just did that." She laughed while buttoning up her jeans, unexpectedly proud of herself for being so daring. She was doing things with Nathan that she never thought she'd do.

In the next moment the lights came up and the few other movie-goers started leaving the cinema as the credits rolled. "I can't believe I'm going to have to walk out of here with a hard on."

Haley laughed openly this time and kissed him quickly. "Well why don't you just hold me close and walk behind me?"

"Well that's not going to help it go away is it?" he asked dryly, knowing that rubbing up against her was going to have the opposite effect.

Haley stood up and dragged Nathan along behind her until they reached the aisle. "No, but how about we skip dinner and go back to my place to take care of your little problem?"

"There is nothing little about my problem, James." He growled, pulling her flush up against him to remind her of the exact size of his 'problem'.

Grinning up at him, she turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist, wriggling her butt against him. "Don't I know it?"

"You are asking for it, James." He growled seriously wondering if he would lose it in his pants for the first time since he was twelve.

"C'mon. Stop complaining. The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can go home and… you know." She whispered, seeing a couple down the corridor, who were no where near close enough to hear her.

Nathan chuckled and shook his head. How is it that she had just let him finger her in the cinema only minutes ago… but she was embarrassed about mentioning the word sex? She was too damn cute… and sexy… and gorgeous. Jeez, he was such a sap. Thank god none of the guys knew he had thoughts like these.

"Alright, lead the way babe."

Nathan had decided to run into the nearby fast food place to grab some dinner now that they weren't going to eat out, and having discovered that she had seven missed calls and three voice messages on her cell since she turned it off at the start of the movie, Haley decided to wait by the car and listen to them.

Watching Nathan through the glass she smiled thinking about how great things were between them. He waved at her like a dork, something he only ever did around her, and she waved back before she froze. Her eyes widened as she heard Karen's frantic voice on the phone. This was it. Lucas knew the truth and their worlds were about to change dramatically. Glancing up at Nathan who was now walking towards her with a bag of food, she tried to school her features, but he'd already seen her look of panic and he was obviously concerned by her apparent shift in mood. She felt a sickening feeling in her gut. She was falling for him; she knew she was and now that the secret was about to come out it suddenly hit her that she could lose him before she ever really had him.

Oh God! How selfish could she get? Lucas' world had just been turned upside down and Nathan's was about to as well, yet here she was worrying about her own love life. Maybe she deserved whatever she got. Listening to the final message on her phone she was surprised to hear Joe's voice.

_Hey Hales. Just letting you know that Lucas showed up here a while ago and is now beyond drunk. I'm taking him back to your place so you might wanna go check on him when you get a chance._

"Haley? What's up? Who was on the phone?"

Looking into his worried eyes she felt a wave of guilt wash over her and fought back the urge to throw up right there on the sidewalk. She couldn't tell him. Now was definitely not the right time to tell him and she needed to get home to Luke.

"Um, it was Joe. I need to go home. Luke turned up at the bar really upset about something and Joe just dropped him off at my place. I need to go home." She rambled, struggling to collect her thoughts.

"Okay, sure. I'll come with you."

Haley looked up with a start, knowing that she couldn't let her boyfriend go home with her. She needed to deal with Luke first and then she needed to come clean with Nathan.

"Nathan… I really appreciate the offer but I need to see Luke alone." She could see from his puzzled frown that he didn't understand, and noticing the quick look of hurt that flashed in his eyes she felt even guiltier than before. Of course being the perfect boyfriend she'd quickly discovered him to be, Nathan just nodded his head, kissed her forehead and opened the door for her before walking around to the driver's side and getting in.

"Is everything okay?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat she plastered on a fake smile and nodded her head. "Yeah. Luke just needs me. I'll explain everything later okay?"

"Sure. Whatever you need to do." He reached across and took her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Thank you."

* * *

Opening the door Haley looked around the dark room, the only light coming from the television which was on mute leaving the place eerily silent.

"Luke?" she asked as she switched on the light in the kitchen. Not getting an answer she moved further into the living area and found him asleep on the sofa, looking every bit like a scared little boy. She bit her lip to stop from crying, knowing that wouldn't help her. She needed to be strong if she was going to be there for him, and no matter how much she wanted to tell him the truth to ease the pit of guilt that was eating away like acid in her stomach, he needed his best friend right now so she would have to keep quiet about her knowledge of his father and simply be there for him.

Reaching out a hand she stroked his face gently knowing that even though he was mad at Karen, the Luke she knew would be wishing he could be comforted by his mother right now, so she would do all the comforting she could on her behalf.

And at this point in time the best thing for him would be to let him sleep for a while. Pulling a throw rug off the back of the sofa, she placed it over him and let him rest. After almost an hour spent cleaning her room and then cooking chocolate cup cakes, something she often did when upset, Haley heard her best friend groaning and quickly went to him. He looked a drunken mess and even half asleep his misery was obvious.

"Oh, Luke. I'm so sorry." She whispered kneeling down and kissing his forehead. There were so many things she was sorry for at the moment and there didn't seem to be any other words that could help.

"Hales?"

"Yeah, I'm here buddy." She smiled, fighting back tears.

Luke opened his eyes and realized he'd never been so glad to see anyone in his life. Haley was his best friend, and after recent events he realized she was the one person in his life that he could trust completely. He needed his best friend right now. Sitting up a little too quickly, he felt dizzy for a moment, his head pounding, and made room for her beside him. Taking in her watery eyes and look of concern he reached out and held her hand.

"I'm sorry Luke. I know this must be a huge shock for you."

His eyes widened for a moment before understanding dawned on him. "I guess Mom called you tonight and shared the news then. I can't believe she finally told me about my Dad… and my brother." He added in a strangely emotionless voice.

Haley bit her lip. It was the perfect chance to tell him the truth; that she'd known about Dan and Nathan since before school started, but seeing how fragile he looked she just couldn't do it. He would be mad at her and want to leave. Where would he go? He was completely wasted – she could smell the alcohol a mile away – and he didn't know anyone else in town. No, she would wait until tomorrow when he'd sobered up.

"Yeah, she left me a couple of messages. She's really worried about you Luke."

He scoffed, the little boy lost look he'd been sporting disappeared in a flash and an unfamiliar darkness marred his features. She'd never seen him looking so thoroughly angry. It scared her a little because the boy she new didn't have that depth of anger inside of him.

"She's not worried about me. She just feels guilty for lying to me for months. Let her feel bad; she deserves it."

Biting back her urge to defend his mother, knowing she herself, was guilty of the same things, she instead squeezed his hand and shifted on the sofa so that she was facing him.

"It's not like you to get wasted to deal with your problems Luke. I just… Are you okay?"

Luke was silent for a moment before turning to her with a sad expression. "I hate them."

"Who?"

"Mom. Dan Scott. Nathan. I hate all of them."

"No. No you don't, Luke. You love your Mom and she's done everything she can to give you a good life and make up for your father not being around." She hated seeing him like this. She knew he'd be upset but this kind of reaction wasn't what she'd expected at all. "And I know you don't hate Nathan, Luke. He's done nothing wrong here. He's in the same situation as you. I know if you gave each other a chance you could be friends… brothers."

"Don't! Don't call him my brother, because he's not. He's nothing to me."

Startled by his fury, Haley sat back further on the couch. She could feel the pain radiating of him in waves and her heart broke for him. As much as she wanted to defend Nathan and help the two boys build a relationship, now was not the time to do it.

"Okay. Why don't you move into my room and sleep it off Luke. We can talk in the morning," Pulling him up to stand beside her, she smirked, "but right now you look like shit… and you stink." She quipped, nudging him with her elbow. The relief that ran through her when he smiled and pulled her into a hug was unbelievable. It was nice to know her best friend was still in there underneath all the anger and confusion. "Will you lie with me? I need my life-sized teddy bear tonight."

Haley laughed, remembering how he'd grown to call her that in high school on occasions when one of them had needed comfort and they'd spent the night just being there for each other. "I'll always be your teddy bear. You know that right?"

"Yeah I know. You're my best friend, Hales. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well you'll never have to find out."

Hearing a knock at the door, Haley pushed Luke towards the bathroom, her subtle hint for him to take a quick shower, before going over to open the door. She froze when she found Nathan on the other side, a hesitant smile on his lips.

"Nathan. Hi."

"Hey. I know you needed to take care of some stuff with Luke, but I was worried about you…"

She hadn't known it was possible for one's heart to flip with affection and stomach to churn with anxiety all at once.

Looking past her he wrinkled his nose, obviously noticing the suite smelled like a brewery. "How is he? Is everything okay?"

She knew the animosity between the brothers was still there and yet here he was, asking about Luke simply because he was important to her. Damn this boy was perfect. His caring words and thoughtfulness only made her feel worse for her deception.

Impulsively she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug, holding him tight as though he might disappear. "He's okay. Thanks for caring."

"Of course I care. I care about you… a lot, and I know how important Luke is to you."

"You're like the perfect boyfriend, you know that?"

"I try." Smiling he leaned down and kissed her.

The night had been such a nightmare and she didn't see it ending any time soon so Haley reveled in their kiss, holding on to him like a lifeline. She needed this; to be comforted by him, to know that she still had him… for now at least.

"What's _he_ doing here?"

Lucas' low voice shattered the moment and Haley froze, quickly jumping back from Nathan, closing her eyes and childishly hoping that when she opened them this would all be a dream. Not now. This couldn't be happening now when things were going so well.

"Er… Nathan came to see if everything was okay. He was worried."

Nathan was both insulted and confused by Lucas' rude behavior, but didn't say anything, simply placed a hand on Haley's back in comfort and rubbed it softly. Obviously something had upset the guy and the last thing Haley needed was the two of them arguing.

"Well as you can see, we're doing fine… without you."

"Luke!" Haley scolded, leaving Nathan's side and making her way over to her best friend, desperate to get him back into her room before he said something she'd regret. She needed to talk to Nathan alone. Finding out that they were brothers was not something she wanted him to hear from Luke, especially not in his current state.

"What? God he can't even let you spend time with me for one night. He's always had everything and now he's trying to take you too."

"What the hell are you talking about, man?" Nathan growled, closing the door and moving into the living area. He knew the guy was upset but this was totally uncalled for.

"I'm talking about you having Dan for eighteen years. You always act like it was such a burden having your dad around, well guess what! I would have given anything to have my dad. But he chose you! He fucked my Mom over," Lucas let out a strangled chuckle "literally fucked her, and then left her to raise me by herself. I grew up with a struggling single mom because _our_ father didn't want me or my mom. That's what my childhood was like."

Nathan felt as though he'd been sucker-punched. Normally he wouldn't listen too much to a drunken man's ramblings but the venom and pain in Lucas' voice told him the guy was telling the truth… or at least believed he was.

"But the great Nathan Scott wouldn't know anything about that, would you? No, you grew up in a perfect little family because he chose you! He chose you and your mom and you got everything you ever wanted handed to you on a silver platter… including my best friend. Well you may have stolen my father from me but you're not stealing Haley from me too."

Haley didn't know what to do. Anyone could see how much pain Luke was in, his body shook as he took out all his feelings on Nathan and she just wanted to hold him and fix things like she'd being doing for him for years… but when she looked at Nathan and saw him struggling to take all of this in, she wanted nothing more than to go to him and help him understand and deal with the shock of all of this.

Lucas, who had moved closer to his best friend, glared at the other boy. "Go on. Ring mommy dearest and ask her if your daddy had a bastard child that he abandoned." He sneered, before scoffing at his words, "But I doubt she'll tell you the truth anyway. I learned today that women are whores and liars… even our own mothers."

Before she even realized what she was doing Haley slapped him, her hand connecting with his cheek, the loud sound reverberating through the silence. Both boys looked on in disbelief as she stood frozen, staring at the hand print that now marred Luke's face.

"Oh God. I'm so sorry Luke." She whispered, reaching out to touch his face and wincing when he flinched away.

"It's okay, I..." He said softly but didn't finish. She could see he was on the verge of tears but before she could say anything else, he turned and went back to her room. She took a step to follow him before she remembered they weren't alone. God, what was she supposed to do? The two most important guys in her life needed her and she didn't know how to choose.

"Nathan…" she said softly, biting her lip as she walked over to him. He didn't even seem to notice her until she laid a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

"He's telling the truth isn't he?" He asked, his voice still showing how shocked he was by the news.

Haley nodded her head but didn't say any more. She knew if she did she'd be confessing her lies and by the shell-shocked look on his face she didn't think he could take anymore tonight.

"Scott. Lucas Scott. I couldn't have known, right? I mean it's not exactly an uncommon name…"

"Nathan. You couldn't have known and I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. And Luke didn't mean it… he's just…" How could she excuse Luke's behavior? It wasn't her place but this wasn't the best start to them being brothers. The tears started flowing and she couldn't make them stop. It wasn't supposed to be like this and it was all her fault. She'd been weak and a coward and now they were both in pain because of her.

Nathan's jaw tensed, snapping out of his bewildered state upon seeing his girlfriend's tears. This whole situation was screwed up and she didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of it. The more he thought about the scene that had just transpired the angrier he got. That little fucker had made her cry. Who the hell did he think he was? Haley didn't need to be dragged into this and he had just as much right to be upset and angry by this news as Lucas did, but he wasn't going around hurling abuse at people.

"Well it's not exactly something I was expecting either but you don't see me being a total dick about it and practically calling you a whore. I swear I had to stop myself from hitting him Hales. I still want to." He ground out glaring at her closed bedroom door.

"Nathan. No. He didn't mean it, he's just hurting. I'm sorry he said those things but he just needs…"

"You, right? He just needs you?"

The hurt and annoyance in his voice was unmistakable and Haley felt torn in two. Luke needed her, but so did Nathan and it wasn't like he had any close friends he could discuss this with. "Look, I'm sure he'll be asleep soon. Please just wait here for a little bit and I'll be right out."

She waited for a response, but he just stared at her, his expression unreadable. She moved forward and leaned up to kiss his cheek, her tears dampening his skin. "I'll be back soon. I'm sorry."

The look of disappointment on his face and the way he shook his head disbelievingly, made her feel so guilty, so helpless and so small. She really was the worst girlfriend in the world.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too." He replied quietly before turning and walking to the door.

"Nathan…" she called desperately, not wanting him to leave like this; mad at her and with no one to turn to.

He stopped at the door, but without turning around he said "Just leave it Haley. Your best friend needs you."

She closed her eyes at his words; his voice so devoid of emotion. So unlike her Nathan. It wasn't until she heard the door close that she opened them again. Her chest hurt and as much as she wanted to run after him, she knew she couldn't leave Luke. Nathan would understand. He was angry with her now but he would understand because that's the kind of guy he was. Caring. Understanding. Forgiving. God she hoped she wasn't overestimating him.

She quickly wiped away her tears before walking into her room. She'd half expected to find Luke asleep already but he was sitting up, leaning against the headboard and he hadn't looked at her since she entered the room.

Sitting beside him on the bed she took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry I slapped you. God, I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry."

After moments that felt like eons, he finally looked over at her and she could see his tears beginning to fall and the way his lower lip trembled. "I'm sorry too Hales. I should never have said that stuff and even though I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about my mom, and she doesn't deserve that. I'm angry at her… so damn angry at her, but I didn't mean what I said."

"I know that, Luke. You and your Mom are closer than any mother and son I've ever known. You'll get through this. I guess things got heated between the two of you, huh?"

He shook his head ruefully and whispered. "I told her I hated her, Hales. She looked like I'd slapped her." Looking over at Haley he gave a half-hearted smirk "Probably how I looked a few minutes ago."

Haley chuckled and sniffled at the same time knowing she must look ridiculous.

"Damn am I glad I never pissed you off like that before. That freakin' hurt. Who knew you had it in ya?" he joked, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close until she lay her head on his shoulder.

"One of the only useful things I ever learned from Taylor." She joked back before turning serious again. "Things will be okay with Karen, Luke. You just need to talk to her about it. I'm sure she's sorry for things too."

"Yeah I know. I'll call her in the morning. Maybe even go see her."

"Sounds like a good idea. You probably owe Nathan an apology too. He really didn't deserve any of that, Luke."

The blonde boy signed and nodded his head. "I know. I just couldn't control it. I feel so angry and he was the best target. Speaking of… where is he?"

Haley squirmed a little thinking of how Nathan had left and wondering what he was doing. She didn't think he was the type to deal well with situations like this. "He left."

"Oh… was he mad?"

"A little… probably a lot."

"Well he has a right to be pissed at me, but he doesn't have a right to be mad at you. You've done nothing wrong."

Thinking of how untrue those words were Haley shrunk away from him a little and moved off the bed, feeling like letting him comfort her when she'd been lying to him was an even bigger betrayal.

"Everything will be fine. Nathan has a temper but he's a great guy. Better than I deserve and I know we'll be fine. I'm just worried about how he's handling all of this. He doesn't really have anyone, you know?"

She watched Luke's brow furrow and how he quickly looked away, busying himself by fluffing the pillows behind his back.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That was not a 'nothing' look… and you acting all fidgety is not a 'nothing' reaction. What is it?"

"Look, I know you think Nathan is this great guy…"

"He is! You don't know him like I do, Lucas."

"Yeah, well what I do know is how he reacted the last time you 'chose me over him'."

Haley crinkled her nose trying to figure out what he was talking about. She'd made sure never to be in the position where she'd had to choose one over the other… except for the first time they'd met after a basketball game and Haley had blown Nathan off to hang out with Luke.

"No. He wouldn't do that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We weren't even together then."

"I'm not trying to worry you or hurt you Hales, but you said yourself that he doesn't handle stuff like this well. I turned to alcohol… and if history is to repeat itself, Nathan turns to bitchy blonde cheerleaders."

She flinched at the words, remembering how she'd seen him entering his dorm with Becky that night. It had hurt so much. But they weren't together then and he'd done nothing wrong… and she trusted him. Nathan had been the perfect boyfriend and he hadn't done anything to deserve her doubts. She was the liar and the deceitful one in their relationship, not him. God she really was a terrible person.

"No. He wouldn't do that to me. I trust him"

When Lucas looked at her almost pityingly she knew her words hadn't sounded as convincing as she hoped. Straightening her back she looked at him head on.

"I trust him."


	15. Chapter 15

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last update. I know a lot of you are very anxious for this one and I just want to say that I am so very grateful to all of you who expressed that even though you were concerned about what was going to happen next - you trust me as an author not to let you down. It really means alot to hear something like that so thank you.

I'd also like to thank Dawn (BabbleBaby), Molly (diamondmolls), Ha and Ash for their help and encouragement with this update.

* * *

Haley ran a hand through her hair, sighing loudly. This had been one of the worst days of her life. Lucas was still a little upset but thankfully he'd sobered up and fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. When Brooke had come home she'd agreed to stay in for the night in case he woke up and needed anything, she had surprised Haley by not pushing the issue when she'd told her that it was up to Lucas if he wanted to tell her what was wrong. She really was full of surprises, that girl.

She'd done what she could for her best friend… now it was time to be there for her boyfriend. He needed her and she'd let him down. She just hoped that she could help him work through whatever he was feeling about all of this because he didn't deserve to be hurting. He didn't deserve any of this. Glancing at the door she took in a deep breath, silently praying that he would answer the door. He hadn't answered his phone the four times she'd rung him and she just hoped he was home because she had no idea where he would be otherwise. Knocking, she took a step backward, almost crossing her fingers for good luck because she was that anxious to see him.

"Oh. Haley..."

Staring at the floor and lost in her thoughts, Haley hadn't even noticed the door opening, but her eyes flew up at the sound of that very familiar voice.

"Becky?" she asked, dumbfounded at the sight of the other girl before her.

Giving the brunette a look of impatience, the cheerleader crossed her arms over her chest. "You're here to see Oscar I presume…"

Bewildered, Haley shook her head taking in Becky's silk robe tied at the waist and hanging open enough that she was almost getting her very own peep show. "Um, Oscar?"

"Oscar the Grouch. Whatever you did to him – fix it. That boy has a major stick up his ass tonight."

So many questions were going through her head at that moment like why was Becky Townsend ushering her into Nathan's place? How badly was he behaving to have her refer to him as the grouchy and abusive Sesame Street character when usually she seemed to worship the ground he walked on… and since when did evil blonde cheerleaders watch Sesame Street?

"Babe? Who's at the door?"

Haley spun around at the sound of the male voice and squealed. There was Damien West in all his naked glory… again. Looking between him and the barely dressed blonde she raised an eyebrow. She wouldn't have seen that coming; Cheerleader Barbie and her very own Ken – The Naked Nympho.

"Oh hey Haley. It's good to see you - you don't call, you don't write." Shaking his head with a grin, she almost forgot the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothes. "I'm so glad you're here. That man of yours needs to get laid. Stat. He's being an ass."

Storming across the room, Becky spun the naked boy around and unceremoniously shoved him into the bedroom. "I swear to God he's harder to house train than a freakin' puppy." She muttered to herself as she slammed the door behind her.

"But what about my peanut butter?" Damien whined from behind the door.

"I'll get the damn peanut butter. You either stay in there or get some damn clothes on."

"Aw c'mon Binkie."

The cheerleader whose only facial expressions seemed to include a scowl or a seductive smile softened at the pet name used and Haley wondered if she'd entered the Twilight Zone. Were these two having more than sex? Were they in a relationship where they had affectionate pet names? Before now she hadn't even been convinced that Becky had any other settings besides 'bitchy'. Then again, Damien seemed like a sweet enough guy… just kind of strange. In all honestly, and nakedness aside, she sort of had a soft spot for him.

"Haley's seen it all before, anyways."

_And then the dumbass had to go and say that!_

Startled, her gaze flew to the door and then back again to the blonde who was now glaring at her narrowly. Just great! Like she really needed more people pissed off at her tonight.

"Hey! It's not my fault he walks around naked. I didn't ask to see him." She defended wondering how she'd managed to get caught up in a lovers tiff between Barbie and Ken. Weird.

"Well close your eyes next time!" Becky snapped, surprising Haley with her possessiveness.

With that the blonde threw open the pantry, snatched the peanut butter off the shelf and stormed into Damien's room, slamming the door behind her so loudly that Haley flinched even though she'd seen it coming.

"You didn't get a spoon."

"We're about to lick and nibble this crap off each other's bodies and you're worried about using our fingers? Don't be stupid. You're not getting a spoon. Deal with it."

Haley screwed up her face wishing she hadn't heard that little bit of over-share. Definitely too much information. She did not want to think of them in that way. Ever. No wonder Nathan complained about hearing everything through these walls. They were paper thin.

"I love it when you get all bossy with me, Binkie." Damien growled.

Haley shuddered and deciding she'd suffered through enough verbal foreplay for one evening quickly crossed to the pantry and grabbed Nathan's stash of candy before making her way over to his room. Reaching his door, she knocked timidly she waited for a response, not realizing she'd been holding her breath until she released it loudly upon hearing his voice.

"Come in."

Tentatively opening the door Haley found her boyfriend sitting on his bed, his back against the headboard and looking remarkably similar to how his brother had appeared in her room earlier. The thought made her smile. She'd noticed lots of little similarities they shared and just knew that the two of them would get along really well if they could get past all of this drama.

And just like his brother he hadn't looked up at her. Sighing she moved further into the room and placed his m&ms on the bedside feeling very much like a naughty child trying to buy herself back into her parent's good graces. Looking around her self-consciously, she noticed the CD spinning in the player, obviously having finished playing. The thing got so much use drowning out Damien and his various lovers cries - although from what she'd just witnessed Haley was beginning to wonder if perhaps there was only one girl in his life – she was surprised it hadn't died from over-use.

She wasn't used to not knowing what to say around him and it was making her extremely uncomfortable. Maybe breaking the ice with a joke would help. "You've been drowning out the nymphos, I see."

Nathan looked up at that comment and she was beyond relieved to see a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah. They stopped a little while ago so I didn't bother to put a new CD in."

Almost on queue the sounds of bedsprings could be heard followed by some highly graphic dirty talk and the familiar sound of a female voice crying out… like a banshee. Haley's eyes widened at the realization that Becky was the girl who'd been with Damien last time. This was no fling… the two of them had been sleeping together for a while now. This explained so much. She wouldn't deny her heart leapt at the knowledge that there was a reason Becky had been entering this dorm with Nathan when she'd seen them together and why they seemed to know each other. It was understandable they'd be friendly if she had something going with his room mate. The relief was unbelievable. Of course it was none of her business who Nathan slept with before they got together but that didn't change the fact that she loved knowing she'd been wrong and about him and Becky.

"You never told me that Becky was the screaming banshee!" Haley laughed, "Damn that's a surprise I could have done without." She quipped as she pressed play on the stereo.

"Kind of like finding out you have a brother… who just happens to be your girlfriend's best friend that hates you?"

Haley's laughter stopped immediately. She had no idea how to handle this situation; no idea what to do or how to comfort him. Moving closer to the bed she stood helplessly for a moment before indicating to the empty space next to him. "Can I?"

Taking his slight nod as permission she sat on the edge of his bed realizing she'd never felt so uncomfortable around him before. Sure there had been some awkwardness between them in the beginning but that had been sexual tension building up… now they were lovers and this was different. He was different. She'd never seen him with his walls up before and he'd always seemed fairly open with her, especially when he'd started to open up to her about his father on the basketball court the night they'd had their first date. He'd let her in – not all the way but he'd trusted her with his pain… even though she was feeling like she didn't deserve his trust at all. Seeing that he was still staring down at his lap, Haley glanced away trying to figure out a way to reach him. She frowned spotting a bottle of scotch on the floor beside her feet.

"I guess you are brothers after all." she commented dryly leaning down to pick up the liquor. Studying it carefully her eyes widened in surprise as she discovered that it hadn't been opened. "It's full."

"Yeah." He sighed, looking her in the eye fully for the first time as if searching for the answer to a question she was unaware of. She looked back at him trying to convey without words that she was there for him and whatever he was thinking or feeling in that moment he could talk to her about it. Finally he broke their stare and reached out for her hand, taking it in his and rubbing her fingers gently with his own. She felt the tension start to drain from her body, not just from relief at his first step towards lowering his walls, but at the feel of his skin against hers. It was comforting. She could see he was preparing himself to talk. It was just one of the things she'd discovered about him in the short few months they'd been friends. Nathan rarely ever spoke about anything personal, but when he did he had to build himself up… or rather tear his walls down. She knew she needed to be patient and give him time, so they sat there, only their hands touching, in silence except for the music and the occasional loud moan from next door which would have seemed oddly comical if either of them were actually paying attention. Instead it was just the two of them. No one outside that room existed.

"My dad used to drink." he said slowly and seeing her astonished face he quickly continued. "I don't mean he was an alcoholic or anything, but when he was mad or upset he would lock himself away in his study and drink until he passed out. It's strange but those were the times when I liked him best… because he left me alone. His normal moods would have him pushing me and yelling at me and telling me how I wasn't going to get anywhere in life if I didn't man up and become more like him… and yet when he was actually mad or angry or upset I never had to worry because he'd disappear into that study. What does it say about our relationship when I looked forward to him getting pissed off and wasted?"

Haley didn't know what to say. She knew their relationship had been bad, but she hadn't known to what extent.

"So I've been sitting here for the past few hours staring at this damn bottle asking myself if I'm like him. It was my goal for so long to be like him and make him proud of me. He raised me to be everything he wanted; to do everything he missed out on because of me. Do you know how many times he told me that because of one lousy mistake – meaning me – he'd lost his dreams? That was my big role in his life; his mistake… and now I find out that I wasn't even his first or his biggest one. That would be Luke." Scoffing, Nathan closed his eyes. "I stood there tonight and listened to him tell me how lucky I am; how I had everything growing up… that I had it easy. Well I'd take his childhood over mine any day. He didn't have to deal with 'The Great Dan Scott' riding him every day, and a mother who turned a blind eye to it all, eventually just making sure she was never around to deal with any of it. He didn't miss out on anything Haley. He was lucky."

Haley watched the play of emotions on his face; the hurt, the vulnerability, the anger and wished there was something she could do.

"I hate that you had to go through all of that, Nathan. I wish I could make it all better for you." She whispered as she scooted further up the mattress so that she could reach out and stroke his cheek. She'd never seen him this way before… so despondent. He seemed so hurt and lost and she just wanted to reach him emotionally and make him feel safe… loved. She froze for a moment as it hit her. She was in love with him. She knew it was crazy and too soon and not like her to lose her head and her heart like this but it just was. She loved Nathan Scott.

_I love Nathan Scott._

"I know you do." He said with a sad smile.

She was startled by his comment and prayed that she hadn't said that out loud because it would be mortifying. "I…" Haley swallowed, before opening her eyes and looking up to face him.

"It's just like you to wish you could make it better. You're too good to me, you know that James?" This time he reached out and stroked her cheek as she let out a shaky breath of relief that she hadn't just blurted out her feelings to him. Why on earth did he think she was so wonderful? He was the one who was being so kind to her right now when he had every right to throw her earlier actions in her face. She'd had to make a choice tonight and because of Lucas' drunken, vulnerable state she'd stayed with him and let Nathan go off alone when he should have had his girlfriend by his side.

"No I'm not. I'm really not… and I'm so sorry about earlier Nathan. I hate that I let you go…"

"No. You didn't let me go Haley; I left. I know what position you were in and you wouldn't be the girl I… you wouldn't be the Haley James I know if you had left your best friend alone in that condition. I may not always like the guy but he needed you."

"Yes, but so did you and I let you down, Nathan. I should have been there for you."

"You were." He smiled and reached down beside the bed picking up the scotch, "I was angry and upset when I left your place earlier and at first I thought it was about you and you choosing to stay with Luke, but after I got back here and yelled at Damien for being… well Damien," they shared a chuckle before he continued, "I pulled this bottle out with every intention of writing myself off. But then I thought about you and how disappointed you would be when you found me. I couldn't stand to disappoint you… and I realized then that I knew I could rely on you, that you'd come to me as soon as you could and that I didn't need this to 'take the edge off'; I'd feel better as soon as you got here."

"Nathan…" she choked the word out, incredibly moved by his faith in her. God, it just made her love him more.

"I can always count on you, Haley. I've never had that before… with anyone. I've never been able to trust anyone the way I trust you." Leaning forward Nathan placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back and looking her in the eye. "Thank you."

She didn't know she was crying until his thumbs brushed away the stray tears. This was killing her. It should have been a happy moment, seeing herself through the eyes of the man she loved… but it was a lie so that feeling was tarnished by the guilt she felt knowing that this trust he had in her was undeserved. How was she ever going to tell him that the one person he'd ever allowed himself to trust was the person who had betrayed him the most?

"Don't cry James." He whispered before capturing her lips in a kiss so full of emotion and longing that it washed away her thoughts until there was only feeling; the feeling of his soft lips, his warm tongue caressing her own, and his hands searching for her skin. Within what felt like seconds their clothes were on the floor and he was entering her slowly, staring into her eyes as she lay below him unable to look away; totally captivated by the intensity of the emotions building within her and reflected back in his own deep blue orbs. Sex had been great between them before, but this was different… well it was for her at least. Maybe it was the events of the day or her discovering her love for him, but whatever it was there was a new intensity in every kiss, every thrust and every touch he bestowed upon her.

She came with a cry, her head thrown back as he whispered nonsensical words against her throat – at least she assumed they were nonsensical; in her blissed out state he could have been reciting the National Anthem and she wouldn't have known – before he followed her over the edge, his own cry mumbled against her skin as his teeth bit into her shoulder, the mixture of pleasure and pain it caused prolonging her orgasm until she could barely feel her limbs.

He laved at the skin where he'd marked her, sorry for causing discomfort, but unable to feel sorry for marking her as his own. He'd never felt anything like that before and it had blown him away. Nathan Scott did not lose control. Ever. At least not until Haley James came and turned his world upside down. He wouldn't have it any other way. He moved to roll off her, but her arms wrapped around him tightly as did her legs.

"Stay."

Resting on his forearms to stop from crushing her, Nathan reveled in the feel of being so intimately joined; the feel of her soft hands caressing his back and he realized what she was doing. She was soothing him. He'd never been cared for so tenderly – not by his mother and definitely not by his father - so knowing she cared about him enough to not only understand him, and read him so well, but to actually want take away his pain brought a lump to his throat. He placed one more kiss on her shoulder, where his mark would soon form and then lifted his head to look down at her.

"Hi."

When she smiled that incredible smile of hers his heart clenched. Damn she was so beautiful. "Hi."

"I don't want to move." She whispered stroking either side of his face gently.

"I don't either but I'm going to hurt you if I don't get off soon."

Pouting childishly Haley nodded her head in agreement but still refused to loosen the grip her limbs had on his body.

"James…" he chuckled at how adorable she was in that moment and as soon as she loosened her grip on him, he rolled to his back, her loud squeal indicating that he'd taken her by surprise, but he knew when she burrowed her face into his shoulder that she had no complaints about her new position. He definitely had no complaints either. He loved her beneath him, but having her sprawled across his chest felt comforting. She was his safety blanket.

He smiled as he felt her placing soft kisses along his shoulder, working her way up his neck and jaw until finally reaching his mouth and he kissed her back, a tender, soft, slow and melting kiss that did funny things to his insides… as well as other external parts.

"Are you okay?" she whispered against his lips and when he raised his hips and she felt him swell within her she knew he'd mistaken the meaning of her question… or was avoiding a serious discussion. Either way this was about getting him through tonight so she'd take his lead.

"Guess that's my answer." She murmured huskily as she ground down against him.

"You are going to be the death of me, James." He growled before taking hold of her hips as she sat up, her hands resting on his solid chest.

Loud moaning came through the wall and neither of them could contain their laughter. Looking up at his girlfriend's flushed, happy face Nathan felt an overwhelming sense of serenity. Yes, his world had been turned on it axis tonight, and yes he still held on to a lot of pain from his childhood, but right there in that moment with her, he was completely happy. He noticed her watching him with a mischievous grin and sobered.

"What is going on in that devious mind of yours, James… and should I be scared?"

Haley smirked, leaning down close to him again. "How about we give these screeching nymphos a run for their money?"

Seeing his eyes widen in surprise she wondered what had taken over her because she was certainly surprising herself, but she loved this man and suddenly didn't care if anyone heard them. Rather than just having sex, she was making love for the first time and even though she had no way of knowing exactly how he felt about her… she knew in her heart that he really cared for her and that was enough.

"You're full of surprises, baby." He chuckled, before thrusting up unexpectedly and coaxing a long, loud moan from her lips. "And I definitely think it's a great idea."

"No holding back." Haley said with a smirk and a new glint of excitement in her eyes. He knew she was getting off on feeling so bold.

Staring into her eyes longingly, he palmed her cheeks and gave her a quick, gentle kiss before nodding and whispering intently. "No holding back."

* * *

Haley smiled, rousing from her sleep as she felt Nathan's soft lips placing kisses on her eyelids. He often did this as a way to wake her up, although it was usually in the middle of the night when he was feeling frisky rather than in the morning. She was the morning person. Rather than opening her eyes, she snuggled closer to him, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around him as her leg slid between his. He was like a really big, warm pillow she thought contently.

When she felt him begin to move she gave a disgruntled moan and tightened her arms around his torso, a silent protest to his movements. There was no way he was getting out of this bed. He'd worn her out last night and she wanted to sleep in late… with him by her side.

"James. Wake up beautiful." He whispered, taking hold of her arms and easily prying himself out of her grasp.

"Nathaaaan. Come back here." She mumbled with half her face lost in his pillow and hoped that her one eyed glare served its purpose.

"You know there's nowhere else I'd rather be than in a bed with you baby," he promised wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "but we have to get up. We've got important things to do today and we need to get moving."

Haley raised herself up on one arm and watched her boyfriend get dressed, enjoying the view immensely. "We do?"

"Yep." He dragged a t-shirt over his head before kneeling on the bed and kissing her senseless, almost losing himself to the kiss completely before remembering his mission. Sneaking a hand away from her face, he took the opportunity to grab the sheets from her and pull them from the bed, chuckling at her startled cry.

"You tricked me!" she cried indignantly, trying to cover her now naked body with her hands.

Moving closer he pulled at her arms so that she was completely exposed to him and let his eyes roam over her body. "Why are you hiding from me? I've seen it all before James and this, "he gestured to her naked form, "this masterpiece that is your gorgeous body, that big heart beating in your chest and that amazing, yet intimidating mind of yours make you one hell of a package. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

She had no idea where her sudden feelings of self-consciousness had come from because she'd never felt that way with him before. Even before they became intimate she was comfortable with her body and with Nathan. She wondered if perhaps falling in love with him had left her feeling exposed, especially because he hadn't reached that point yet. It didn't matter though because seeing the way he was looking at her and hearing the sincerity in his voice as he spoke those beautiful words made her forget all thoughts of covering herself up. In that moment she felt she'd be happy to be naked around him all day every day. He made her feel so sexy, happy and confident. No wonder she'd fallen in love.

"As much as it pains me to say this… you need to get out of that bed and get some clothes on baby because we need to leave and if you don't cover up soon we won't be going anywhere anytime soon." He growled while collecting her clothes up from where they'd been tossed on the floor the night before.

Haley bit back a grin. She loved knowing how attracted he was to her and he definitely had the look of a man on the edge of giving into his desires. "I don't remember having any plans so where are we going?"

Nathan turned to her, taking in the curves of her body and felt himself getting worked up. Pretending to busy himself with tidying up his room so he wouldn't have to be tempted by her naked body, he spoke. "We're going to your place."

She paused halfway through pulling on her jeans and asked warily, "My place?"

"Yeah" he sighed, sitting on the bed beside her. "I think Luke and I need to talk and if we leave soon we'll catch him before he disappears. He's probably still in bed after drinking so much last night."

"Oh. Ok." Haley was beyond astonished. He wanted to talk to Luke? Lucas her best friend who has basically been an ass to him since the first time they met? The same Lucas who drunkenly and cruelly told him they were brothers the night before? Sure, Haley knew Luke was a good guy and that he was only being overprotective of her most of the time, but Nathan didn't have to take her at her word and look past his brother's past behavior towards him.

"You don't think I should?" Nathan asked with a frown wondering if maybe he was jumping the gun a bit. He'd lain awake most of the night just holding Haley and thinking about everything that had happened. He didn't really have much family. His father was dead and his mother had always been pretty much absent from his life so maybe he should get to know Luke a little. He didn't have a lot of hope of them being friends but he also didn't want things to stay how they'd been last night. Most of all he didn't want Haley having to deal with her best friend and her boyfriend unable to be civil towards each other.

"No, I do. It's just I didn't expect you to want to."

"Things can't stay the way they are and I figure if we don't sort it out now it'll just get harder."

"Nathan Scott, you are amazing." She whispered, taking hold of his chin and turning his lips toward hers. She loved their slow, languorous kisses just as much as their heated, lusty ones. Any kiss with this boy was amazing.

"I'm going to get some breakfast organized." He said, clearing his throat after regretfully breaking off their kiss. They had to stop now or their clothes would be coming back off again.

Watching him close the door as he left, Haley's smile faded as she realized she was going to have to face seeing Damien and Becky. Oh God, this was embarrassing. She'd been so damn loud last night! Oh well… she was a mature adult in a mature adult relationship. Sex was nothing to be embarrassed about. Even loud crazy monkey sex. Who was she kidding? Her face was already turning pink.

"Smells good." Haley offered with a smile as she left the bedroom, ignoring the smirks coming from Ken and Barbie. She wasn't quite as bold as last night and remembering how loud she and Nathan had been was making her blush. They didn't say anything so she assumed Nathan had warned them. This whole situation was beyond weird. Who would have thought she'd be eating breakfast with this odd couple?

"Peanut butter on toast." Damien said with a smile, spreading a disgustingly large glob of the condiment on his toast with his fingers.

His fingers! Haley froze as she took in the jar of peanut butter on the counter, the very same jar that Becky had taken to bed with her the night before. The very same one they were going to spread on each others bodies with their fingers. She felt her stomach lurch and glanced at Nathan's plate relieved to see he was yet to take a bite.

"Don't eat that!" she yelled, racing over to the counter and attempting to grab the toast from his hand.

"What? James what is wrong with you? First, Damien insists on making me breakfast and now you demand I don't eat it." he chuckled as she struggled to grab it off him.

The other couple watched on almost in hysterics as the petite brunette wrestled her 'jock' boyfriend for his breakfast.

"Just put the toast down." She ordered, grabbing his other hand in an attempt to yank him off the stool.

"Oh, this piece of toast?" he asked teasingly lifting it close to his mouth in a taunting fashion.

Haley bit back a giggle at how obnoxious he was being. "Put it down Nathan or I swear your lips are never coming near mine ever again. Ever."

Nathan furrowed his brow before placing the toast back on his plate. Damn his girlfriend was acting strange but he wasn't going to risk her being serious. He loved kissing that sweet mouth of hers too much to tempt fate.

"Thank you. Now let's get out of here before we catch an infectious disease." She pulled him towards the door, but hearing the hoots of laughter coming from the other couple, Haley spun around, and seeing Becky - who was usually a composed ice queen - with tears of laughter falling down her cheeks, she had to stop herself from joining in.

"C'mon Haley. It was a joke. We just wanted to see his face afterwards." Damien called out between chuckles

"What the hell is going on?" Nathan asked in exasperation.

Finally giving in to the giggles, Haley looked up at him, laughter shining in her eyes. "They took the peanut butter last night."

"Yeah?"

"Into Damien's bedroom."

"I didn't need to know that." Nathan complained, not wanting to think of anything those two did in that room.

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it!" the other boy called out. "It's better than body chocolate."

"Ugh!" Nathan frowned, glaring at his room mate.

Haley laughed at his reaction, knowing the worst was yet to come. "And let's just say they used their fingers."

Nathan's jaw dropped, his eyes opening wide with disgust. He'd almost eaten from that jar! God knows what had made its way in there… "I'm going to be sick" he said before turning to Damien with a scowl "And then I'm looking for a new room mate!"

Haley struggled not to laugh at the indignation on her boyfriend's face, but he noticed her shoulders shaking slightly. "You think is funny? I can't believe you're taking their side. They're the enemy here, James."

"Oh c'mon, it's kind of funny." She offered, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Yeah, Nathan. Where's your sense of humor?" Becky teased.

Looking back down at his girlfriend he smirked menacingly. "Well I suppose the joke's on you too then, babe."

"How's that?" she asked warily.

"Think about it 'Tutorgirl'" he mocked using finger quotes, "I eat it… then I kiss you…" he teased, knowing that he'd never eaten from the jar before. He didn't even really like the stuff and was only eating it because his ass of a room mate was being so forceful. There was no chance he'd ever eaten their icky sex peanut butter.

"Ewwww." She grimaced, burying her head in his chest before looking over at the smirking couple in the kitchen. If they had ruined her daydreams about kissing her boyfriend she'd kill them both! "He's finding a new room mate!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone for waiting so patiently for this update. I've had some back problems which have made it difficult to write, but I've finally managed an update of this for you. All of the feedback I've received has been wonderful and I want you to know just how much I appreciate it. Thank you!

* * *

Haley let out a soft sigh as she watched the countryside fly by through the passenger side window.

"James. Relax." Nathan teased reaching over to squeeze her denim clad thigh.

Haley moved her attention from the scenery to her handsome boyfriend who was alternating between watching the road and glancing at her. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm not…"

"Not used to doing anything quite as spontaneous as skipping town for a few days and missing classes." Nathan prompted.

"It's not me missing classes that I'm worried about. It's you missing classes… and basketball. You know the coach is going to be ticked off Nathan." As much as fretted about Nathan missing school it wasn't her only current source of worry. Karen was the only other person who knew her part in this secret and having all four of them together under the one roof made her nervous. She trusted Karen not to say anything, but being confronted with her own lies was making her guilt eat away at her. Haley knew she couldn't admit to Luke or Nathan that she'd known their secret… not yet anyway. It was obvious that the two of them weren't going to give each other a chance; their relationship as brothers a chance if she wasn't around to be the common thread between them.

"I can handle the coach… and as for classes, I'm not worried; I've got the best tutor at Duke at my disposal."

Haley chuckled, loosening up a bit at his humor. When they'd left Nathan's apartment earlier that morning her mind had been occupied with worrying about her best friend and her boyfriend meeting again and discussing the issue of their recently discovered family connection. When Brooke had informed them both that Lucas had already left for Tree Hill to see his mother she'd thought that volatile meeting had been put off and she was ashamed to admit that she'd been relieved. Only, Nathan had other plans; he'd quickly told her that he wanted to follow Lucas and talk to him in his home town, Nathan's theory being that Luke would be less threatened in his own environment. His determination to sort things out with Lucas still surprised her but knowing how little support he'd gotten from family in the past she could understand why Nathan was so intrigued by the idea of having a brother. And she also knew that he genuinely hated Haley being stuck in the middle of the two boys' hostility.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just book a motel room now?" Nathan asked, feeling a little less positive about their trip now that they were only half an hour from arrival. "I know you already spoke to Luke, but I really don't see how his mom is going to be okay with me staying in her home."

Taking his free hand and lacing their fingers together, Haley smiled. "You don't know Karen. If you're important to me then she'll accept you. Lucas has already said he's okay with it," Haley stated, not adding that her best friend was less than excited by the prospect but willing to see Nathan anyway, "and if there's a chance you'll become important to Lucas there's even more reason for her to be understanding. Besides all that… Karen is a good person, Nathan. I don't know that she'd ever turn anyone away."

Nathan visibly relaxed a little before smiling sadly across at her. "Lucky Lucas. Not only did he grow up having you as a best friend… but it sounds like he had a pretty amazing mom as well."

Haley's heart constricted, feeling the pain Nathan still felt about his childhood. From everything he'd confided in her so far it seemed like growing up with Dan as a father was a nightmare, and his mother had ignored the problem - and her family - most of his life. She couldn't help but ponder how strange it was that Lucas had always thought he'd missed out on not knowing his father… and Nathan now wondered if he'd have been better off not knowing him at all.

Nathan shook himself out of his thoughts. There was no point feeling sorry for himself and wishing for a childhood he never had. "So… what is there to do in Tree Hill? Hopefully we'll be staying for a couple of days and I'm sure we don't need to be intruding on Karen the whole time."

"I'm afraid you're probably going to find it a bit of a let down. There's really not a lot to do in a small town like Tree Hill. Nothing like what you're used to anyway. There's a movie theatre and a bowling alley and that's about the extent of it."

"Well you and Lucas must have done something to occupy yourselves. What was your favorite thing to do?" Nathan asked, genuinely curious not only about how Haley spent her time as a teenager, but what her relationship with Lucas had been like.

Glancing across at him Haley smiled wistfully. "Mini golf."

"Mini golf? That was your favorite thing to do?" Nathan laughed completely surprised by her response.

"Yeah. I told you how Karen has a café in town, well there's a mini golf course set up on the roof. Luke and I spent so much time up there playing around. Sometimes we'd actually play the game, but other times we'd just listen to music and talk… just hang out like regular friends do."

She was waiting for his laughter knowing that his teen years would have been a hell of a lot more exciting than that. She knew she'd led a pretty sheltered life, but it made her the person she was today and she loved who she'd become. Looking into his eyes she didn't see the laughter she expected, instead she found a longing that tugged at her heart. This boy who'd been given everything a child could want, who'd been given free reign to do as he wished as long as it didn't harm his chance at a future in basketball was beginning to realize that he'd missed out on a lot of important aspects of every child's life.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Nathan noticed the sign welcoming them to Tree Hill and breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to think about his crappy childhood right now. He wanted to have a clear head to deal with Luke and Karen. He'd tried not to let Haley see, but Nathan was damn nervous about all of it, especially coming to their home town and being at a distinct disadvantage. He hated being out of control and not having the 'home ground' advantage made him feel even more off kilter. Thank God he had Haley here for this. There was no way he'd cope with any of this news or with meeting Luke if she wasn't by his side. Taking her hand again, he intertwined their fingers and told her so.

Dealing with her own guilt Haley simply smiled back and gave directions to Karen's home. Her stomach in knots, she tried to push aside her guilt and focus on making sure that the brothers built a relationship. This meeting was so important and she hoped with everything she had that it would go well.

* * *

"Haley."

The girl smiled as Karen opened the door and pulled her into her arms. Things had been slightly strained between the two of them recently, but even though Karen's reluctance to be open with her son had caused Haley a lot of problems, she knew that it wasn't intentional. Not having her own family in town anymore and seeing Karen again made her realize just how important this second mother figure was to her. It was like all the issues between them melted away.

"I've missed you sweetheart."

"I've missed you too, Karen." Pulling away, Haley turned back to Nathan and took his hand giving him the support he needed. She could only imagine how awkward this meeting was for both of them, knowing that Dan abandoned a pregnant Karen and then made a new family with Deb and Nathan. "Karen, this is Nathan Scott. My boyfriend."

Nathan, who even with Haley's warm hand in his had been wishing he could turn around, jump back in his car and leave, felt himself relax a little as he saw the genuine warmth in Karen's eyes. She was as a little hesitant just as he was, but there was no sign of the resentment or dislike he'd been expecting. It was obvious now that everything Haley had told him about Lucas' mother was true.

"Nathan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too Mrs.…" Nathan struggled not to wince. He had no idea of her surname, but knowing that she hadn't married his father it wasn't likely to be Scott.

"It's Miss Roe, but please just call me Karen." She offered, stepping back into the house and opening the door wide for the two teenagers to follow. "I'm afraid Lucas isn't here. He left for the Rivercourt about ten minutes ago."

Haley wasn't surprised; the Rivercourt was Luke's sanctuary and had always been the place he went to when he needed to clear his head. Just him, the ball and basket – that's how he'd explained his own little piece of paradise.

"Well there's no hurry. We can just wait until he gets back."

"Karen, are you sure it's okay for me to stay here? I can always go to a motel if…"

"Of course you're welcome to stay. I've already set up the spare room for the two of you." Karen said flushing with embarrassment at the way the couple's eyes widened in surprise at her letting them share a room… and a bed.

"Okay, well thank you. I appreciate you letting me stay." Nathan turned to Haley. "Would you mind if I speak to Luke alone first. I thought maybe I could go and meet him now."

Haley bit her lip, not sure about the idea. She really wanted to be there as a mediator between the two in case things got out of hand but Karen answered for her, giving Nathan directions to the Rivercourt. He kissed Haley goodbye before leaving the house and his anxious girlfriend behind.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Haley asked, accepting the cup of tea Karen served her.

"I know you want to be there Haley, but I also know that those boys care about you and they might not actually say what they need to say if you're around. Even if it doesn't go well, which you have to accept is a possibly, you're the link that's tying them together. As long as you're around there's always hope for them to get to know one another better."

Hearing Karen's words she realized they mirrored her own thoughts and cemented her decision not to tell the boys that she knew their secret all along. Even if they didn't realize it - they needed her.

"Luke knew we were coming. I thought he might have stuck around the house to be honest." Haley commented, taking a homemade biscuit from the plate in front of her.

"He probably would have stayed but he needed to blow off a little steam."

"Really? I know this is hard but he sounded fairly calm about everything when we spoke earlier."

"This wasn't about Nathan."

Haley laid her hand over Karen's comfortingly. "Is he still upset with you?"

"Not about waiting to tell him about his father. No, he understands how difficult it was and that I wanted to give him a chance to settle into college before dropping this bombshell on him."

"I understand too, Karen. You know that right? I mean it was difficult and I wish I hadn't had to lie for so long but I always understood."

"Thank you Haley. It means a lot to know that." Pouring more tea, Karen continued. "We actually had a bit of a disagreement about something else. After getting in contact with Dan's lawyers I discovered that he left Lucas some money… quite a large sum of money actually."

"Wow. I wasn't expecting that one." Haley blew out, wondering how both boys would feel about this revelation.

"Well Lucas has decided to drop out of school and write his book."

"Okay… another Wow. I definitely didn't see that one coming."

"As you know, I haven't spoken to him much since he started school. Did you have any idea he wasn't settling in there?" Karen asked, regretting how she'd handled the secret and let a distance be created between herself and her son in the last few months.

"Maybe it shouldn't be so shocking. Luke has been spending so much of his time with me at Duke on weekends and days he has no classes that I guess I should have questioned why he wasn't spending time at his own school." Running her hands through her hair in frustration Haley looked up guiltily. "He never talked about any friends he'd made or things he did when he wasn't with me or Brooke. I can't believe I never realized that he probably hasn't even bothered to make new friends. It's like he's been living his life with me at Duke and just going to school at UNC. God, I can't believe how selfish I've been."

"You're the least selfish person I know, Haley James, so please don't beat yourself up about this. Anyway, the point is that Luke is dropping out and moving closer to you…well I assume it's to be closer to you. He's not so serious with this Brooke girl that he'd move there because of her, is he?"

Haley shook her head. She knew that her friends were developing feelings for one another but she seriously doubted that her roommate would be the major factor in Luke's decision. It was probably a part of the decision, but it was more likely to be that he wanted to be closer to Haley seeing as though he hadn't made new friends at his new school… and hopefully it also had something to do with getting to know his brother.

"I don't agree with him and he knows it, but it's his money so there's nothing I can do. I still can't believe Dan acknowledged him in his will and left him money… let alone the ridiculous amount… well I won't discuss it with you. Lucas can give you the details if he wants to."

"I'm sure he will. You know he never was any good at keeping secrets from me…" The silence that followed Haley's words was telling. Lucas might not have been able to keep secrets from her but she'd done a hell of a job of keeping this from him… and from Nathan.

"So, you and Nathan? I almost choked when Lucas told me. How are you dealing with that… does he know that you knew?"

Haley groaned. "No. He has no idea and it's killing me to keep this from him Karen. I feel so guilty that sometimes I think I'm going to be sick. He trusts me in a way he's never been able to trust anyone before… and I know it's going to hurt him when the truth comes out."

Karen stirred her tea, before looking up at Haley thoughtfully. "It doesn't have to come out, you know. I'll keep quiet if you want me to."

"I appreciate the offer but I don't want our relationship to be built around lies. I want to tell him… I've wanted to tell him for months now since before we got together, but I want him and Nathan to have at least built some sort of friendship before I do. It's really important to me that they know each other as brothers, Karen. So before I tell them the truth and possibly lose both of them, I want them to have each other."

Karen watched as she tried to fight back the tears and failed. She felt terrible for the trouble she'd brought into Haley's life and hated that it had led to this normally carefree girl being so upset and troubled.

"Aw honey. Lucas may be upset with you at first, but he'd never cut you out of his life. He loves you too much for that." Standing, Karen pulled the younger woman into her arms and gave her the comfort her own mother wasn't around to give. "And while I can't speak for Nathan because I don't know the boy at all… you're a good judge of character and I'd like to think that anyone who could capture your heart has a pretty amazing heart themselves… and a forgiving one."

"I hope you're right." Haley sniffed, terrified of the consequences if she was wrong. Although she'd had a little while to get used to the fact that she'd have to explain her actions to Nathan in time… acknowledging that she could lose him never got any easier, especially after realizing the night before that she'd fallen in love with him. It would break her heart to lose him now, but she had to keep focused on her goal; the same goal she'd had since the very start – to unite Lucas and Nathan as brothers.

* * *

Nathan watched Lucas on the court and couldn't help but smile a little at how similar some of their moves were, obviously both of them having received their father's genes. At least Dan was good for something.

"Hey." He called out to get Luke's attention. The other boy grabbed the ball and watched Nathan warily as he approached. "You got good game."

"I can hold my own." Luke breathed out, a little tired from running out his frustrations on the court. "Where's Hales?"

"With your mom." Nathan held out his hands, silently asking for the ball before Luke passed it to him. Dribbling it by his side, he wondered how to proceed from here. This whole meeting was awkward. "Look, I figure that we need to talk, that's why I wanted to drive here. And I think we need to talk honestly so I asked Haley if I could come see you alone. I'm hoping we can be civil, but I also know this isn't some movie of the week and I don't want her to feel like she has to play referee."

Luke had to admit he agreed and was pleased with Nathan's protectiveness over his best friend. He'd been worried about her in all of this, especially after how he'd acted the night before and how she'd stayed to look after him and let her boyfriend go. He may not necessarily be ready to approve of the guy, but it was obvious Nathan cared about Haley.

"I'm sorry about… well about how I acted last night and the things I said. I was pretty drunk and didn't handle it well."

"Yeah, you were an ass." Nathan replied, smiling lightly. "But I won't hold it against you. It's some pretty fucked up shit we just discovered. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all."

"Thanks." Luke mumbled not knowing what to say. He knew what he wanted to ask but wasn't sure how to go about it. Letting Nathan know that he'd wondered all his life if his father ever thought about him or mentioned him was going to make him vulnerable, but the urge was too strong. "Did you know, I mean, did you have any idea that Dan might have had another kid?"

Nathan's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He knew what Luke was asking and as surprised as he was by the question, he was even more surprised by the fact that he wished he could tell him yes. He wished he could tell Lucas that his father hadn't completely ignored his existence because as much as they had their differences, Nathan didn't like the thought of anyone feeling they were unwanted. He may have had his dad around, but he'd often felt unwanted himself; only given any attention due to the basketball potential he had. The potential he had to let his father live out his lost dreams through him.

"Look, Luke… I don't know what idea you have of my relationship with my... our… with Dan, but I doubt it's anything close to the reality. I had no idea I had a brother out there, but I also didn't really know anything about my father except for what he wanted me to know."

"No surprise his bastard son wasn't one of those things."

Nathan winced at the undisguised hurt in Lucas' voice and whispered "You're not the bastard. He is."

Lucas' shocked gaze met Nathan's searching for any sign he wasn't being sincere. He certainly hadn't expected that response. "What?"

"Our father was a bastard. I'm not saying it was easy for you growing up with just your mom, but I honestly think you were better off without him."

"That's easy for you to say! You had him around. You had every opportunity in life handed to you on a silver platter from what I can see… and by the fucking truckload of money he left me I can only assume you've known what it's like to have everything money can buy."

Nathan was shocked to hear that Dan had included his other son in his will, and an illogical sense of resentment hit him; Luke never had to deal with their father and the guy's name had never once been mentioned, yet Dan was acknowledging him now. It felt a little like a slap in the face after all the crap he'd been through over the years but he fought the temptation to yell back. Luke's attitude that he'd missed out while Nathan was the lucky one was getting to him, but it wasn't his fault he had no idea what their father was really like.

"You're right. I had everything money could buy. I never went without the material things I wanted but that's where it ended. Dan Scott was a nasty son-of-a-bitch who believed my mother had trapped him into marriage and that having me ruined his life. He wanted to be an NBA superstar and apparently knocking my mother up ended that dream… so he tried to live his dreams through me. He never gave a shit about me, Luke. He may have been there when I was growing up but it was to control my life and attain his NBA dreams through me, not because he actually cared about me or what I wanted."

"I've seen you play, Nathan, and you can't tell me that you don't love it. You don't play basketball for him, you play it for yourself!"

"Yeah I do. I love the game and I probably owe a lot of my success so far to him pushing me… but I'd much rather have been a mediocre basketball player with a father who loved me than a great player who only got there because he was pushed by a cruel, manipulative asshole." Luke opened his mouth, obviously ready to argue, but Nathan held up his hand silently requesting that he be able to finish.

"I don't want to sound like I'm trivializing what you've been through. It must have been tough growing up without your dad and only your mom to support you. I'm just saying that when you were telling me last night how lucky I am to have had Dan around… well you were wrong. Shit, I'm jealous of you man!"

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "I don't want to sound ungrateful for what I've had either but why would you be jealous of me? I grew up watching my mom work herself to the bone building up her business to support us. We were always struggling for money and even though I never went without anything I needed, I watched her deny herself so she could give me what she thought I wanted. What's there to be jealous of?"

Nathan didn't know how to explain himself. This was all so overwhelming and while he'd hoped that he could have a civil conversation with Luke today, he never imagined that they'd be so frank and open with each other. It was both a little disconcerting, and a little encouraging. Maybe there was a chance that the two of them could be friends after all. Asking if they could sit, Nathan followed Luke over to a bench on the side of the court and pulled himself up to sit on the wooden table next to the other boy.

"There're a lot of things that have been missing from my life and the funny thing is that I didn't even know what they were until I found them."

"Haley." Lucas offered in understanding. His best friend had a way of inserting herself into your life and making you need her so much you didn't know how you'd ever gotten along without her.

Nathan smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. She's definitely a big part of it. I've never known anyone like her before… and I know you don't trust me with her but I promise you that I care about her a lot. She has already had such a huge impact on me and made a difference to my life and I guess I'm alittle jealous that you've had her in yours for so long. I never really had a true friend before and seeing how much you two mean to each other just highlights how much I've missed out on growing up."

"Well you've got her now." Luke winced at the vulnerability in his voice. Surely Nathan must think him pathetic to be whining about losing his best friend.

"You know, one of the things I love about Haley most is her loyalty and how much of herself she truly gives to other people. I've never seen a friendship as strong as yours and I know she'll never give it up. Just because we're dating doesn't mean she has to choose and I'd never ask her to," Nathan chuckled with self-deprecation, "I'd never do that to her, and honestly I don't think I'd like the result. She'd probably kick my ass into next Tuesday."

Lucas joined in with a chuckle of his own. His best friend certainly knew her own mind and wouldn't be afraid to tell either of them where to go if they tried to force her to do anything like that. Mulling over the other boy's words he couldn't move past a particular comment that had him wondering if Nathan was a little more attached to Haley than he'd first thought. Nathan had surprised him today and already his perceptions of the guy were changing dramatically, so if he'd been wrong about Nathan, maybe he'd been wrong about his intentions. Was it possible that Nathan was falling in love with Haley? The thought still made him uncomfortable and he couldn't forget the night he'd held Haley as she cried herself to sleep after seeing Nathan with another girl.

"I need to ask you something."

"Okay." Nathan nodded warily.

"Are you still seeing the blonde you were sleeping with before Haley?"

"What?!"

"Don't even bother telling me it's none of my business because Haley is my business and if you do anything to hurt her I'll hurt you." Lucas swore intently.

Nathan closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He thought they'd been making headway and now the guy was going all territorial on him again and accusing him of cheating on Haley? Getting off the bench to distance himself from the blonde, he took a few deep breaths and turned to face him.

"Would you stop with the threats already! I don't know how I can prove to you that I'm not going to hurt her but I can tell you that I'm not cheating on her and I have never cheated on her. I don't know where you came up with this crap, but I can promise you I don't know what you're talking about. Haley is the only girl I've been involved with in any way since I started Duke."

Lucas watched him carefully and was surprised to find that he believed him. Surprised and relieved for Haley and for himself, he held up his hands in a motion of surrender.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I believe you."

Nathan let out a breath of relief and picked up the ball, still trying to calm down. He really hated being accused of doing that to Haley. Suddenly he realized that for Luke to be worrying about a specific girl, then he had to have gotten the idea from someone whether it be Haley or maybe even Brooke. He had to find out because he was going to make it crystal clear to everyone that Haley James was his girl and he wasn't interested in anyone else.

"Why did you think I was sleeping a blonde? Does Haley think that?"

Luke nodded. "That first time I came to visit and interrupted your plans I came home to find her upset. She was really into you even back then…"

"The feeling was mutual, believe me." Nathan said dryly, remembering how many cold showers he'd taken back then.

"Well Brooke and I sort of got… carried away with each other and Haley decided to go home early. She spotted you going into your dorm with some blonde girl. I think she's a cheerleader or something and she has a problem with Haley."

"Becky? Haley thought I was sleeping with Becky?" Nathan asked in disbelief. The girl could be a laugh when she let her guard down and stopped being a bitch, but there was no way he would ever be interested in sleeping with Becky Townsend.

"Haley said that at the first party she went to Becky said you two were together and so I guess Hales just assumed you were still seeing her."

"I wasn't. I didn't. Becky is my roommates girlfriend… well sort of girlfriend. I don't know exactly what they are but that's why we would have been entering the dorm together. She's got some issues and unfortunately Haley happened to be one of them for a while there but I told her to back off. She must have been playing with her."

"Well you might want to let Haley know that." Luke offered, standing up and taking the ball back from Nathan before shooting a basket.

Nathan immediately thought about Haley's reaction the night before to learning of Becky's and Damien's relationship and realized she had probably figured it out for herself. He'd noticed an odd sense of relief from her and now he knew why. He wished she'd asked him about it earlier so he could have set her mind at ease before now.

"Yeah I will… although I'm pretty sure she's already figured it out."

"You're pretty sure I've figured what out?" Haley asked as she walked onto the Rivercourt to meet them. Her smile was bright but her hesitance was obvious.

"About Becky and Damien… and the fact that I've never ever been with Becky." Nathan said seriously as he moved to meet her halfway. He didn't know why, especially considering it would have been before they were together, but he needed for her to know that no one else had made it on to his radar since the first time they'd met.

Haley giggled, leaning up to kiss him quickly. "I know that now… but I'd seriously like to forget about that terrible twosome." She shuddered and made a face.

"What's up with them?" Luke asked curiously, trying his best to fit in with the two of them. He was going to be moving his whole life soon and he really didn't want to feel like a the odd one out all the time.

"Do you want to tell him or should I?" Nathan asked with a grin, the smile never leaving his face as he watched Haley animatedly explain to Luke just how crazy the other couple were… well not until she mentioned what had happened before she entered his room the night before. His grin definitely faded at that bit of information.

"You saw him naked again?! I'm going to kill him." Nathan growled, wrapping his arm around her waist possessively.

"Oh I don't think we need to worry about it happening again. When Becky found out she looked ready to kill him… or me. Either way, I think Damien knows his private parts are for her viewing pleasure only."

"You seriously have to live with that freak?" Luke asked laughing but showing genuine sympathy.

"It's not so bad. As long as he keeps himself clothed we won't have a problem."

"Okay enough talk about Ken and Barbie. I came to get you guys because Karen's finished getting dinner ready and wants you both home and washed up before she serves it… or you won't get any dessert."

Nathan laughed thinking it was a joke, but by the looks on their faces he realized she was serious. The thought of having someone cooking for him and expecting him to show up on time for dinner was strange but oddly comforting. His mother had rarely been home and never prepared homemade meals so this was a nice change.

"You don't want to miss dessert man. Mom makes the best sticky date pudding you've ever tasted." Luke offered as they started walking away from the court.

"With fresh whipped cream… and I don't mean your average whipped cream. Karen has some secret ingredient in there that makes the stuff indescribably delicious. I'm still trying to get her to reveal her secret."

"Never. She might leave it to you in her will, but you've got no chance of getting it out of her before then."

Haley sucked in a breath worried that this strange calm between the boys would evaporate at the mention of death and wills which was a sure reminder of their father and how their relationship was discovered. Thankfully, neither of them batted an eyelash at the comment. From the moment she'd approached the court she'd been bemused by the interaction between the boys, honestly shocked that they weren't arguing; that they were still talking at all.

All three of them walked along in a fairly comfortable silence, absorbing the events of the past twenty four hours. Haley felt a weight lift off her shoulders; this was an even better start for Nathan and Luke to building their relationship than she could have hoped for. Feeling Nathan's hand slip into her own and squeeze gently, she looked up to see him smiling reassuringly. He knew her well enough to know she was worried and curious about their time at the Rivercourt without her and what lay ahead for the brothers, and was silently telling her everything was okay.

When they reached their destination, Nathan stopped at the car telling Haley that he would take their bags inside. She knew he was giving her a chance to have a few minutes alone with Luke. She appreciated the gesture and kissed his cheek before linking her arm through Luke's and walking up the steps to the house.

"So what's this I hear about you dropping out of school Lucas Eugene Scott?" she asked playfully scolding tone.

Nathan watched them go as he pulled the bags out of the car and smiled as he heard his girlfriend go into her 'bossy mode'. His smile led onto a chuckle at the sound of Lucas groaning and complaining about Haley and his mother ganging up on him 'as usual'. Watching them disappear through the door, Nathan took a few minutes to let the sight of the house – no, home – sink in. There was laughter floating through the open front door, the scent of good old fashioned cooking floating out right along with it and he smiled thinking how it might not be so bad spending some time getting to know these three and the unlikely family they made. Even if he wasn't ready to admit it to himself, the question of what it would be like to be a part of that family had already began to grow within him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to everyone who is reading and a big thank you everyone who left feedback. I know interest in the show - and its fanfics - really tends to die down during hiatus so all of your feedback is really, really apprecaited. Also, thank you to Dawn, Ha and Ashley for your help with this update. Also please note that there are some sexual situations included in this chapter.

* * *

Nathan opened his eyes, yawning softly. His surroundings were unfamiliar for a moment until he felt the soft, warm body in front of him and he smiled, remembering that he and Haley were staying in Karen Roe's spare bedroom. His hard on should have been indication enough. It had been the same for the past two mornings because even though Karen had made it obvious that she didn't mind the two of them sharing a bed, Nathan had refused to have sex under her roof. It was strange really considering the number of girls and numerous places he'd had sex under his own mother's roof without giving it a second thought, but with Karen it seemed disrespectful.

He'd changed so much this year since his father died; since he realized that trying to be like his father was the last thing he wanted despite trying to do just that for years and years. He was honestly a little ashamed of his previous behavior rather than being proud of his 'player' status. Feeling Haley stir and wriggle back further into his chest he wondered how he could ever have been happy before, moving from girl to girl; now that he knew what it was like to have someone like Haley in his life, and in his bed, he could never go back to meaningless relationships and encounters. He could never go back to life without Haley.

"Someone's happy." Haley murmured still not opening her eyes to the morning light. She felt her boyfriend's hardness twitch against her lower back at the sound of her gravelly, sleepy voice and smirked. She loved how much he wanted her... if only he wanted her more than he wanted to respect Karen. It was so endearing that he didn't want to sleep with her under her surrogate family's roof, but it was times like these – when she was horny as hell – that she almost wished for him to bring back part of his bad boy side.

"I'd be even happier if I could make love to you right now." He whispered pressing himself tighter against her and using the arm draped over her waist to pull her closer as he nuzzled her neck.

Haley stilled for a moment, surprised by his words. He'd never used that term before – making love – and neither had she. They hadn't ever discussed it but she always thought it was reserved for two people in love. She knew she was in love; head over heels, blessed out, this person completes me – love… But was he? Neither of them had said it. Oh well, she thought, shaking her head slightly; there was no point overanalyzing it.

"Hey, I'm ready and willing. You're the one who's putting us through this torture." She quipped.

"Torture? Not getting any from me is torture? I like the sound of that." Nathan joked, maneuvering them so that she lay on her back and he straddled her waist.

Haley rolled her eyes at his satisfied smirk and gave him a light shove, catching him by surprise before he fell back onto his side of the bed. She quickly scooted off the bed and placed her hands on her hips, chuckling at his playful glare. "Don't look at me like that. You wouldn't want Karen to walk in on you in that compromising position would you?" she asked teasingly.

Nathan sat up, crossing his arms over his chest and scowled. "This is ridiculous. It's been two days James! Two freakin' days of having you right here but not..."

With an innocent expression Haley pulled her singlet off in one movement, dropping the garment to the floor and then cupping her breasts, weighting one in each palm. "Not being able to do this?" she asked innocently.

"James." Nathan warned, trying to calm his breathing at the sight of his sexy girlfriend fondling her own creamy breasts.

"What? It's all here for the taking, baby." She said with a simple shrug. As much as she was enjoying seeing him suffer, the tension visible on his face and in the way he clenched his fists by his sides, she realized she was also being tortured in the process. She was turning herself on more and more and now it was she who was suffering just as much, if not more than her boyfriend.

Just as she sighed in defeat and dropped her hands, Nathan flew off the bed and moved across to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her fiercely. Meeting his intensity, she buried her hands in his hair and angled her mouth to let him deepen the kiss.

"Hey Hales, we still on for some mini-golf today?"

The couple jumped apart at the sound of Lucas' voice on the other side of the door. Nathan's eyes widened like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar when actually it was more like the boyfriend caught with his hand on his girlfriend's naked breast.

Clearing her throat, Haley responded with a quiver to her voice. "Sure Luke. We'll be out for breakfast in a minute."

When they heard the other boy's footsteps retreating down the hall they expelled a sigh of relief at not being caught out. Dropping her forehead to rest on his chest, Haley whimpered and pouted like a toddler. "This sucks, Nathan."

Nathan took in a sharp breath. He really didn't need to hear his girlfriend talking about anything 'sucking' right now. He was so hard he'd need a cold shower before he could join anyone in the kitchen and the images that word conjured in his head of Haley's warm moist lips wrapped around… No! No more sexy thoughts. Lawn bowls. He'd think about lawn bowls. What could be sexy about a bunch of old people playing a boring version of ten pin? Nope… not working; instead of old people all he could think of was his girlfriend bending over to bowl her ball down the green. Since when do lawn bowls teams wear mini skirts and silk thongs? This was hopeless he thought, feeling her warm breath against his chest. Abraham Lincoln! Yes! That's a good one. Abraham Lincoln was not associated with anything sexy… except that he studied the president in school which brought up images of his sexy tutor girlfriend during their first tutoring session when she was braless and her beautiful nipples were very much on display. Oh shit. Was there nothing in this world that didn't make him think of Haley and sex? Dead puppies!

Haley jerked away from her boyfriend with a raised brow. "Dead puppies? Are you going all serial killer on me now" she teased, intrigued by his behavior.

"No… it's a technique." He said gesturing to the tented front of his boxers.

"Oh" Haley said gulping as her stomach fluttered in desire. Looking up at him with determination in her eyes she stated clearly, "I don't know where and I don't know how… but we are having sex today."

"Thank God." He muttered before kissing her quickly and turning around to get ready for a shower.

"Don't use all the hot water." Haley called before snickering and adding teasingly "Oh, that's right. You'll be using cold water won't you honey?"

"You'll pay for this later, James." He promised her in a husky tone.

Licking her lips and thinking about how amazing it would be when they could finally work out this sexual frustration, she smirked. "Oh, I hope so."

* * *

"Okay… who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend? My nice, sweet, humble girlfriend." Nathan deadpanned as Haley performed a victory dance in front of him.

"Sorry, man. You're seeing the real Haley James now." Lucas laughed, used to his best friend being a complete braggart about her prowess as a mini-golf player.

"What? If you can't take the heat then get out of the kitchen little boy." She replied smugly, twirling her club around in one hand. She'd been playing this game for years and had quickly surpassed Lucas' skill level, beating anyone who dared compete with her. It was so nice seeing how shocked Nathan was that she was beating him. She sighed dreamily. "It's so nice to be able to whoop your ass at a sport."

Nathan scoffed loudly. "Mini-golf is not a sport. Anything with the word 'mini' can never be classified as a sport."

"Don't even bother." Luke stated, shaking his head. "You'll never win this argument. Believe me, I've tried."

"You're both just embarrassed to get your asses kicked by a girl." Haley poked her tongue out at them before picking up her ball and grinning widely. "New game!"

"Oh no. No way am I playing again. I'm not going to encourage this evil side of you to come out any longer." Placing his club down on the ground, Nathan crossed his arms and stood tall to show just how immovable he'd be on this point. He glanced at the other boy and raised his eyebrows silently asking for back up and Luke followed his brother's actions.

"Hey! You're not allowed to start ganging up on me now. That's not fair!" Haley pouted, pretending to be annoyed but secretly rejoicing that in just a couple of days Nathan and Lucas were making real strides towards building a good relationship.

"Face it, Hales. You're outnumbered for once." Luke said smugly, enjoying all the banter.

"Watch it buddy or I'll tell Nathan about that time…"

Before she could get another word out, Lucas was by her side, his large hand covering her mouth and his other arm wrapping around her waist and lifting her from the ground. "You wouldn't dare, Haley."

Nathan watched on, amused as they pretended to fight, their banter threatening but the laughter in both their voices and their eyes belied just how often they'd had this same argument and many more just like it. They were as close as friends could be and for the first time, rather than be jealous of it, Nathan was simply curious as to what it would be like. He chuckled as Haley squealed when Lucas started walking toward the edge of the café's roof, pretending that he was going to drop her over the edge. The two best friends had barely had any time alone since they'd arrived and Nathan decided to give them a few minutes.

"I'm starving guys. I'll go down and order lunch and you can meet me in a few." He didn't even bother asking them what to order because he already knew that they both ate the same thing every time; Haley had mac and cheese – of course – and Lucas a sweet chili burger with salad and fries. He'd questioned them both, wondering whey they wouldn't take advantage of the variety Karen offered, especially because it seemed that the woman could do no wrong in the kitchen, but they simply stated that they'd tried everything many times over and they knew what they wanted. Personally, he was on a mission to sample everything on the café menu before they left. He'd never had such tasty food in his life.

Walking down the stairs to the café he could still hear the other two laughing and 'fighting' and he smiled to himself, grateful for being allowed entry into this other life they had here in Tree Hill. Life was different at school and coming here to their hometown showed different sides to both of them and he finally understood just how strong their bond was. Not just Lucas and Haley, but the two of them and Karen. They were a small family – unconventional – but a family just the same and they'd invited him in at least for a few days. He'd always be grateful for this glimpse in to what families had to offer.

Karen smiled as she saw Nathan approach the counter. It was still a little strange seeing this boy who had so many physical similarities to his father. At first it had been a little disconcerting; memories coming back to her after many years of blocking Dan Scott and their time together from her mind, but as she'd spent time with him over the last couple of days and seen him interact with both Haley and Lucas she'd found him to be so very different from his father. Sure, he could be a little cocky and self-assured at times, it would be expected with his upbringing, but there was a real humility about him too, something that Dan had lacked. The other obvious difference was his relationship with Haley. Karen knew now – had known for a long time – that Dan Scott had never loved her. He'd pretended to… maybe even thought he did, but the man didn't have the capacity to truly love another person whereas it was obvious that Nathan's feelings for Haley were genuine. He smiled not only with his mouth but with his eyes when he looked at her and he was gentle, so very tender with her especially when he wasn't aware of being watched. Having at first been wary of her son getting to know his half-brother, Karen was now convinced that the two boys could have a great relationship. She was more than happy to welcome Nathan Scott into her family.

"How was your game?"

Nathan shrugged. "Besides my girlfriend morphing into - well, me in high school – it was great." He chuckled.

Karen smiled knowingly and nodded her head. "So you were introduced to 'that' Haley, huh? It's a bit of a shock the first time around."

"Shocking, but kind of adorable." Nathan conceded with a goofy smile. Realizing just how sappy he sounded he blushed and was thankful Karen chose not to comment, instead handing him a menu knowing he'd want to try something different today.

"You do realize that you don't have to try absolutely everything on the menu before you leave tomorrow." Karen teased when the boy ordered enough for four people.

"I told you, Karen. Your food is irresistible and there's no way I'm going to risk missing out on something."

"Well I'm glad you love my cooking so much… but what I meant was, you don't have to try it all this visit. Leave some of the menu for your next visit." She said softly, letting him know that he was more than welcome back to her home in the future.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Nathan nodded with a smile. "Okay, well maybe just take off the honey-soy chicken strips. I'll keep those for next time."

The moment was broken at the sound of loud footsteps descending the stairs followed by Lucas and Haley racing into the café, Haley immediately taking the stool beside her boyfriend.

"I told you I'd beat you." she teased, giggling at her friend's scowl.

"You cheated." Lucas grumbled.

"Did not."

"Children…" Karen warned shaking her head and suppressing a grin. She'd missed this.

"I'm starving." Haley sighed as she took the menu from in front of Nathan on the counter.

"Why do you bother with the menu when you know what you're having?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It's all part of the dining experience." She stated before handing the menu to Luke and then taking Nathan's hand, lacing their fingers together before kissing him softly.

"Well don't eat too much. I think I put my back out lifting you earlier." Lucas joked, quickly scooting out of the way to avoid Haley's playful punch.

"Ass." She mumbled, trying not to laugh.

"Well I'm going to get your food ready." Karen said shaking her head before winking at Nathan. "I'll leave you to babysit."

"Hey!"

"Hey!"

* * *

"I really love this town, James." Nathan said softly, lifting their joined hands and brushing a kiss across her knuckles.

"It was a great place to grow up. I guess I've kind of always imagined myself coming back and settling down here to have my own family one day."

Nathan looked down at the wistful expression on her face and smiled. With any other girl, a comment like that would have him running in the other direction like the hounds of hell were on his heels, but with Haley it sounded kind of nice.

Haley's cheeks blazed, embarrassed by the thought that Nathan might have realized she was picturing the two of them years from now with kids. They cared about each other but that kind of commitment had never been implied and she would die if he thought she expected him to feel the same way as her. "Not that I think about settling down a lot or anything. I mean it's normal to think about it occasionally. It doesn't mean…"

He kissed her quickly, cutting off her rambling and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "I know what you mean."

They stared into each other's eyes, wondering if other couples ever felt this way, if other people had that one person who seemed to understand them without trying. To clear the charged atmosphere, Nathan kissed her nose, taking her hand as they began to walk again.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

Haley smiled and nodded. "It's just around the corner."

"What is?"

"My house… well it used to be my house. I'm not sure if it's sold since mom and dad left town."

They stopped in front of a home with a For Sale sign and he watched as she seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She'd told him when they first met that she felt like she didn't really have a home anymore now that her parents had taken off around the country in an RV and were selling her childhood home. It was obvious she was glad it hadn't sold yet.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she started searching through the small garden bed next to the front steps.

When she stood up with a grin and a key in her hand he realized exactly what she'd been doing. "I can't believe the key's still here." Taking a quick look up and down the street, she indicated for him to follow her and let them both inside the house.

Nathan was surprised to find the place still almost fully furnished, but then he supposed it would make sense to sell the place with furniture considering the James' had no need for it all on the road. All personal things like photographs seemed to be gone, but the basics were still in place.

After a quick tour of the downstairs, Haley led him up to the first floor where the bedrooms were, anxious to see what her old room looked like. Her parents had promised to pack up her important personal belongings and store them with the rest of the boxes they had put into storage, but she needed to see it for herself; to make sure that they hadn't left anything special behind.

"It feels so strange. So empty." Haley said as she took a look around. Her furniture was still there but it wasn't 'her room' anymore. It was so dark and empty and quiet. This home used to be filled with six James children and even when it had just been her and her parents there had always been a stream of constant visitors and her parents singing along to an old tune on the radio. The memories made her smile sadly and it wasn't until she felt Nathan's hand on her cheek wiping away a few stray tears that she realized she'd been crying.

"Are you okay?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little sad, you know? It's sort of really hitting home now. God, I don't even know where my parents are. We haven't emailed in weeks. It feels like I'm alone, like I don't have any family." She whispered taking comfort in his strong arms when he pulled her into his embrace.

"Hey, don't cry, baby. Your parents will always be there for you and you still have Karen here in town and Luke who's going to be living close to school permanently now." Stepping back, he caressed her cheek tenderly and looking into her eyes he promised. "And you have me. I can be your family too, Hales. I already consider you, mine."

Haley's breath caught in her throat as she struggled not to cry again, not from sadness, but from love this time. She loved this man so much and his words meant the world to her. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Haley." He whispered softly as he rested his forehead against hers. "You really are my family. I care more about you than anyone I've ever known. I love you."

Her eyes widened at his declaration. She knew he meant it. His voice and the look in his eyes told her so. "I love you too, Nathan."

He grinned widely, relief washing over him to know that she felt the same way. He'd thought she did; feeling it in her touch and hearing it in her voice and seeing it in her eyes. Most of all he felt it when they made love. That was how he knew he was in love with her. Sex with Haley had stopped being just sex a while ago – well it was never 'just' sex, it had always been special - and the intensity of the act had been building more and more each time. The last time they'd slept together he'd felt so connected to her, more than ever before and he knew he had to tell her how he felt. He'd almost let it slip in his room that night, but he hadn't been ready. Now he was so glad he'd had the courage to open up to her.

"Say it again." He whispered, before kissing her sweetly.

"Well it's hard to talk when you're kissing me that way. It's kind of hard to function at all when you're kissing me." She said with a smirk before holding his face in her hands. She smiled warmly. "I love you, Nathan Scott."

Lifting her up against his chest, he kissed her thoroughly as her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Breaking the kiss she fought for air. "Please tell me you have no objections to having sex in my parents' house."

"I'm afraid I do." He said solemnly.

"What? You can't be serious!" Haley whimpered, ready to cry tears of frustration.

"I have a big problem with 'having sex' in your parents' house… but making love to you in your parents' house? I have no problem with that. In fact, I think we need to start right now." He grinned, lowering her onto her old bed.

"Thank God. I. Need. You. So. Much." Haley said between kisses as her hands worked on the buckle of his belt.

Nathan chuckled, stilling her hand. "Are you sure you don't want to take it slow?" he asked, not knowing the etiquette for making love the first time after saying those three special words to your partner. He was on the edge and more than ready to take her right then and there, but he didn't want to screw this moment up by going too fast.

"Oh, we'll take it real nice and slow… during round two. Right now? I just want you inside me so bad I can't stand it." She swore, her eyes dark with desire. Hearing that the man you loved, loved you back was officially the best aphrodisiac in the entire known Universe.

"God, I love you." He responded, ducking his head to capture her lips in a fierce, hungry kiss. He knelt above her, quickly removing his polo top and then helped her with her own top, tossing them both to the floor. He feasted his eyes on her gorgeous breasts encased in a light blue bra and when she popped the clasp so that the straps fell down her arms exposing her soft flesh to him he feasted his mouth on her.

Haley's eyes rolled back at the sensation and she quickly forgot her task of undoing his jeans. Her hands clasped his strong forearms before need became too much for them both and he pulled away, quickly standing to remove his jeans and boxers, and helping pull Haley's off in record time. He stared at her lying there on the old, unmade bed in an almost empty room and even though he knew it wasn't the ideal place… it was perfect. Everything was perfect for them as long as they were together.

Licking her lips at the sight of him, Haley pondered how gorgeous her boyfriend was. His body was perfection from his broad shoulders, to his toned muscles, to his large… everything. He moved forward and quickly pulled down her panties, staring hungrily at her before reaching for his wallet in the pocket of his discarded jeans and removing one of the condoms he'd placed there, knowing this would happen as per Haley's promise earlier that morning.

Once protected, he moved to meet her on the bed, joining them together physically in celebration of the joining of their hearts. This was no gentle coupling. It was hard and fast. Love and desire. Need and desperation. Finally they came together with an intensity they'd never shared before; their limbs shaking as they fought to catch their breaths.

Nathan couldn't move his body from hers; knew she wouldn't want him to but it wasn't enough. Still being joined and skin to skin wasn't enough. He kissed her exposed skin, every part he could get to; shoulders, neck, jaw until moving to melt his lips against hers in a languorously exploring kiss as their racing hearts slowed down and they came down from their shattered state.

"I don't want this to ever end." Haley sighed against his lips.

"It doesn't have to." He promised, brushing her hair from her now sweaty face and smiling down into her beautiful brown eyes. "It never has to end."


	18. Chapter 18

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the feedback on the last update. It was wonderful to see you enjoyed the NH ILY's as much as I did. Thank you also to Dawn, Kris and Molly for your assistance with this update.

* * *

Luke heard the rapping at the door and sighed with relief at having company besides the grouchy patient in his spare room. Racing over, he quickly opened it up to find Nathan standing there with his hands full of shopping bags.

"Thank God you're here."

"Why? What's going on?" Nathan asked as he walked into the apartment. Luke had been living in his new home just a few blocks from Duke for almost a month now and Nathan pretty much felt at home. It had been just over two months since his visit to Tree Hill when Karen had welcomed him and he'd started to feel a kinship to Lucas. Feeling so comfortable around his newly discovered half-brother wasn't something he would ever have predicted and he knew without Haley it would never have been possible, but he was grateful. Luke was a pretty cool guy.

"You're about to be a single man again is what's going on." Luke growled, as he watched Nathan take two containers out of the take out bag on the bench.

Nathan's brow furrowed. Haley had been diagnosed with the measles two days earlier and while she was ill he was pretty sure if she had gotten really sick Luke would be more concerned than this. He seemed pissed off more than anything... which meant Haley was driving him crazy. The thought really shouldn't amuse him so much, but weren't brother supposed to enjoy each others torment? Shrugging, he innocently pretended not to catch Luke's meaning. "She's sick with the measles, not dying."

"No… but if she doesn't stop whining every five seconds I'm going to kill her myself." Luke huffed, sorting through the food and magazines Nathan had picked up on his way over after practice.

"Stop being a drama queen. She wasn't complaining much at all during my shift… besides, she looks kind of adorable with that pout of hers and all of those purple dots." He shrugged before opening the pantry to get the salt and pepper shakers – the ones shaped like cows that Haley had bought her best friend as a housewarming gift. Both the boys agreed they were the ugliest looking shakers they'd ever seen, but Haley adored them so they kept their opinion to themselves. He was quickly learning that neither he nor Lucas could say no to her very often.

"Yeah, well not all of us have the luxury of using tonsil hockey as a distraction!" Luke knew he was being a grump but he was tired and sick of hearing that damn bell Nathan had given his girlfriend to ring if she needed anything. Humph. When didn't she need something?

"Ugh! Love really is blind. The girl could slap you in the face and you'd find it '_adooorable_'." Luke sing-songed the last word sarcastically, rolling his eyes at how whipped his brother was. Both of them knew Luke was now very happy with the couple's relationship and his previous warnings to Nathan about being good to his best friend had become constant ribbing about being under her thumb.

"You're just jealous, man. Go find yourself a girlfriend"

Luke shook his head knowing that wasn't the answer... He'd thought for a while that maybe his arrangement with Brooke might be heading somewhere more serious but things had cooled off considerably over the last couple of months. His life had changed with finding out about his father and getting to know his brother and then there was the decision to leave school and use some of the money Dan had left him to rent a place of his own while he spent time working on the book he'd always wanted to write.

Unfortunately, between spending time writing and getting to know Nathan, it didn't leave a lot of time for Brooke. As much as he enjoyed her company and wished he could be the guy she needed him to be, she was a high maintenance girl and now just wasn't the time when he could commit to anything serious. She hadn't taken his lack of time for her very well and had ended their 'benefiting' a couple of weeks earlier. He also knew it was probably the catalyst behind her asking Haley to stay with him while she was sick… that way she wouldn't have to deal with him coming over all the time.

"Why don't you go out for a while? Get away from the whining." Nathan teased good naturedly before they both began laughing at the sound of the bell ringing from the guest room where Haley was staying.

"Good idea. I'll be back in about an hour."

Nathan picked up the tray with the soup and headed towards the guest room before turning and calling out to Luke. "Hey can you pick up some skittles from the convenience store? They didn't have any at the store near campus."

Luke laughed and nodded his head. "Of course. She's even grumpier without her damn candy."

Opening the door to the guest room, Nathan smiled at his girlfriend as she rang the bell impatiently, looking miserable. Luke was right… she was a lousy patient, but he didn't care. He hated seeing her unwell and he'd put up with whatever she threw at him.

"Hi baby."

"Nathan!" Haley exclaimed at the unexpected sight. She hadn't been expecting him for another hour or so but he was definitely a sight for sore eyes. She'd been feeling crappy and itchy all day and poor Luke had put up with her grouchiness, but what she'd really wanted was just a hug from her man.

"Having a bad day, huh?" he asked, placing the tray on the side table before sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning in to kiss her forehead.

Haley pouted and nodded her head, getting that feeling she used to get as a child when her parents would show their sympathy and she'd suddenly feel the need to cry and let out all of her tears.

"Hey, don't cry, James." Nathan helped her shift across the mattress as he rested against the headboard beside her, pulling her head to rest on his shoulder as she cried her silent tears. He simply held her, stroking her hair knowing she just needed to be comforted and that she'd be feeling better soon.

"I'm sorry." She hiccupped, pulling away a few minutes later. "I guess I just needed a hug."

"Just any old hug, huh?" Nathan teased, pretending offense.

"Of course not. I needed one from my big sexy boyfriend." She giggled, kissing his jaw. He always managed to make her feel better and for a guy who claimed to have one hell of a temper and not a lot of patience, he'd been an absolute saint with her. The last two months had been what she imagined wedded bliss would be. They'd said their I love you's and rather than any awkwardness, things had just gotten better and better. She'd never felt like this in her entire life and she never wanted it to end.

"Damn straight. Feeling better?" He asked, kissing her nose.

"Yeah. I'm still itchy, but overall the day is looking up."

Leaning over to the side table, Nathan lifted the tray and placed it on her lap, grinning as she gave a little sigh of gratitude. "Chicken noodle soup! Thank you babe."

"With extra noodles."

"Gah! I love you! You are the perfect boyfriend, you know that?"

"So I've heard." He chuckled, glad that her spirits seemed to have picked up right along with her appetite. The soup was obviously a hit as she was tucking into it heartily. When she'd finished and passed the tray back to him he noticed her rubbing her back against the headboard and realized she probably needed some more calamine lotion on her back. It was the one spot she couldn't do her self. Opening the top drawer he pulled out the lotion and just as they'd done numerous times in the last few days, she scooted forward giving him room to sit behind her.

"Better than that good for nothing best friend of mine! Do you know what he said to me earlier? He said that I was the most demanding prima donna he'd ever met and the next time I was sick I could go straight to the hospital because at least the nurses there get paid to cop abuse. Abuse? What a pansy. He's supposed to be nice to me…" she pouted.

Nathan fought back a chuckle feeling like the meat in the sandwich. For so long it had been Haley's job to mediate between the Scott boys, and now he had an inkling of how she'd felt trying to keep the peace.

"Luke loves you, James, you know that." He said calmly, helping her pull off his Duke t-shirt that she loved to wear and trying to concentrate on his words rather than the fact that his gorgeous girlfriend was now sitting topless in front of him. "He has been really good to you letting you stay here, baby, and maybe sometimes because you're feeling so down you might get a little grum… irritable with him when you don't mean to."

Squeezing his eyes shut worried about her reaction to his comment, Nathan was surprised by the silence and opened one eye to assess the damage. He found Haley turned towards him with a rueful look on her face. "I'm not going to yell at you Nathan… but I can see by the way you're getting ready for it that maybe I have been a little bit grouchy the last couple of days. I'll try to be nicer… and I'd better apologize to Luke too before he runs off to find a replacement best friend."

"No one could ever replace Haley James." Nathan whispered, leaning forward to kiss her lips softly. As unpleasant as the experience had been, he was so damn glad that he'd had the measles as a child otherwise he'd have to stay away until she was given the all clear and that would be torture. She smiled as she sighed against his lips.

"Okay nurse boy… a little less kissing and a little more dabbing." Haley ordered in her sternest voice before she ruined the effect with a giggle, turning back around to so that he could apply the lotion to her spots.

"Yes ma'am." He chuckled, kissing her exposed shoulder before dabbing a couple of spots on her back. He continued his ministrations, making the experience more pleasurable for the both of them and trying to take her mind off her itchiness.

"Have you seen Brooke?" she asked as she pulled her t-shirt back on.

"No I haven't, but I did run into Mouth at school today and he said he and Erica might drop by tonight to see you."

Haley sighed, wishing things weren't so weird between them at the moment. She loved Brooke, she really did, but Luke was her best friend and she could understand his reasoning behind not committing to something serious with her friend. She was glad he was honest rather than leading her on… but her room mate hadn't taken it that well. She suspected that Brooke had seriously fallen for him even though it was against her friends with benefits rules. She knew her friend was hurting but at the same time, someone who was used to getting everything their own way had to learn at some point that you don't always get what you want. Brooke was tough though, and she'd get through it fine.

While Nathan and even Luke had been seriously pissed off at Brooke for asking Haley to leave the apartment while she was sick, she'd known that even though there was a chance the other girl would catch the illness, having never contracted measles as a child, the main reason was that the thought of having Lucas around to see his sick best friend constantly was too much for her. Haley didn't harbor any bad feelings about it and she missed her friend so hopefully they could get things back on track when she went back home.

"You guys will work things out." Nathan promised, pulling her back to lie against his chest, her head resting against his shoulder as his arms automatically wrapped around her and his fingers laced with hers.

"I know. I just miss her… I think Luke does too."

"James… I know you think they'd be good together and as much as the girl drives me up the wall sometimes… I agree, but Luke's got a lot going on right now. He just needs time and if things are meant to work out for them then they will."

"When did you get so smart?" she asked, turning to place a kiss on his jaw.

"Well, you see I've got this really great tutor… she's kind of a hottie too."

"Oh, really?" Haley giggled, wondering if she could find a way to bottle this feeling that made her forget about her illness and the fact that she looked like a purple spotted version of Uncle Fester with her calamine lotion and dark circles under eyes from lack of sleep. It was like Nathan was her miracle cure and she felt sorry for anyone who didn't have a Nathan to make them feel better.

"Oh yeah. Did I ever tell you about the time she came to our tutoring session with no bra and the air conditioning was on high…"

Haley shot forward, turning around to slap him playfully. "Nathan! That was so embarrassing."

"Best day of school I ever had." He said with a lecherous smirk.

"I still can't believe you thought I wanted to give you a private strip tease! You're so full of yourself sometimes Nathan Scott!" she admonished, her cheeks reddening at the memory. That day had been full of embarrassing moments and misunderstandings. She seemed to have had a lot of those around him in the early days.

"This is the police. Please halt all of your hanky-panky and put your clothes back on!"

Nathan and Haley both laughed at Mouth's antics before calling for him to come in. He entered the room with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and Erica's hand in the other. The two of them had been dating for a while now and even though Erica was a little reserved and didn't seem to quite mesh in easily with the rest of them, Haley always did her best to include the other girl.

"Damn. You're making me look bad, man." Nathan joked as the flowers were passed to Haley who was tearing up at the gesture.

"These are beautiful, Mouth. Thank you." she said with a smile. "And when I'm less gross I'll give you a big thank you hug, okay?"

"I'll take a rain check. They're from Erica too."

Haley shook her head embarrassed. "Oh, of course. Thanks Erica. I've been feeling sorry for myself all day so these are just the pick-me-up I needed."

"You're welcome. I hope you're feeling better soon. I remember having measles when I was a kid and my mom chasing me around my room trying to stop me from scratching. Not fun."

Everyone laughed at the comment, not finding it difficult at all to conjure up the image of a determined Erica stubbornly ignoring her mother's demands to stop scratching. She was the most focused, determined person they knew. The sound of the phone ringing had Nathan scooting out from behind Haley and leaving the room.

"So… have you seen Brooke?" Haley asked hopefully, when her boyfriend was out of earshot, not wanting him to see how much it was bothering her. He could get so protective and she wouldn't put it past him to confront Brooke and that was the last thing she wanted.

"No. I haven't seen her around campus and she wasn't home when I dropped by your place yesterday. I got a text from her this morning though, so I know she's fine." Mouth knew that there was some tension between the two of them and obviously felt a little awkward that his two friends weren't on the best of terms.

"Well if you see her just tell her that I miss her, okay?"

"Sure Hales."

Nathan entered the room again and passed the phone to Haley, informing her that Karen was on the phone. Mouth and Erica said a quick goodbye and Nathan closed the door to give Haley some privacy.

"How are you, sweetheart? Any better today?"

The sound of Karen's caring voice brought an immediate smile to her face. It was the same way she'd felt when her own mother had called the day before to see how she was doing. She could tell how distressed her mother was that she couldn't be there to hold her baby while she was sick. She actually had a feeling her dad had been even more upset. He'd always been there to hug his daughter whenever she was unwell.

"I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself today and poor Luke has copped the brunt of my frustrations… but I am feeling a little better this afternoon."

"And would that have anything to do with Nathan getting home from school?" Karen asked with distinct teasing tone.

"It might have. And some friends just dropped in for a quick visit and brought me some flowers too, so that helped."

"Well I hope you get better soon, honey… and try not to work my boy into an early grave." The older woman joked knowing first hand how difficult Haley could be when she was sick.

"Let's just say I owe him an apology for today and I'll be on my best behavior from now on."

"So how is everything else…?"

Haley shut her eyes and sighed knowing what Karen was alluding too. She'd been working up the courage for two months now to tell Nathan and Lucas that she'd known the truth about them being brothers before they found out, but it never seemed to be the right time. At first she wanted to wait until they had gotten closer, worried that they'd have no common tie to keep working on a relationship with one another. They were definitely past that point now; the two of them were friends even if they were still wrapping their heads around being brothers but with Luke's move and Nathan's pressures with school and basketball it just always felt like coming out with the truth would disrupt their lives too much.

While that was true, if she was honest with herself she'd admit that there was never going to be a good time and she'd always be able to find an excuse to put it off, but the thought of losing a lifelong friend and the man she'd fallen in love with was so terrifying that she was firmly stuck in denial. Deep down she knew it… and she was beginning to hate herself for it.

"No Karen. I still haven't told them."

"Oh, Haley. I know I'm in no place to say anything about keeping secrets… but I just worry for you and for them. I think the longer you leave it the worse it will be."

Haley felt a tear escape and slip down her cheek. She knew Karen was right and she had to tell them soon but it was so hard. "I know. I just… how do I tell them that I knew they were brothers and didn't say anything. Not only that, but that I first sought Nathan out for that very reason. He's going to be so hurt, Karen. God, it's just such a mess and the guilt is killing me."

"They'll understand. It may take some time because it's going to hurt, but both of them love you Haley and they'll forgive you. I'm sure of it."

Taking a deep breath to stave off a flood of tears, Haley whispered. "I hope so."

A knock at the door startled her, making her heart race wildly as she panicked at the thought of Nathan or Lucas overhearing her conversation. She doubted they'd be knocking so she cleared her throat and called for whoever it was to come in. Her relief was palpable when Erica stuck her head in with a smile.

"We forgot to give you these." She said placing a box of chocolates with a card on the bed before giving a small wave and leaving the room again.

"Are you still there honey?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here, Karen. I'm going to tell them. Not tonight, but after exams in a few weeks I'm going to tell them."

"Well you know I'm here if you need to talk and my door's always open if you need a hug."

"I know. I love you, Karen."

"Oh, I love you too, sweetheart."

The door opened again and this time Luke walked through looking much more relaxed than the last time she'd seen him. She gave him a sheepish smile and was relieved when he grinned at her, obviously having gotten over their earlier altercation.

"Hey, your boy just got home. Do you want to speak with him?"

"Of course I want to speak with Nathan." Karen joked.

Haley giggled still finding Karen's teasing about now having two sons funny, especially when the two Scott boys jokingly fought over who was the better son.

"No, your other son." She stated waiting for Luke's reaction.

At his gasp she giggled again before saying goodbye to Karen and passing the phone to her best friend.

"You know I'll always be your favorite." She heard him say as he left the room.

Leaning back against the pillows she fought against the rising dread that engulfed her when she thought about what she'd have to do. Why did this have to be happening to her? Why couldn't her meeting Nathan be a coincidence and somehow he and Luke could have discovered their blood tie through other means. She was going to lose them; she could feel it and she knew she wouldn't understand the meaning of emptiness until it happened.

"Hey, where's that smile of yours gone, beautiful?" Nathan asked as he approached the bed with two bowls of cookie dough ice cream.

Wanting to put those thoughts behind her, she plastered on a smile and clapped her hands excitedly. "You know the way to a woman's heart, don't you casa nova?"

"No… I only know the way to yours." He replied with a tender smile.

"I don't deserve you." she whispered against his lips as he joined her on the bed with a quick kiss.

"Is this a private party?" Luke asked from where he stood leaning against the doorway.

"Yeah, sorry… cool kids only." Nathan sniggered.

"Well what are you doing here then, loser?" Luke retorted picking up Haley's cherished childhood teddy bear, Mr. Waffles, from the chair by the end of the bed and throwing it at him.

"Boys! Behave! There's no need to fight over me… I know you both adore me but try to control yourselves…" Haley's words were cut off with a gasp as Lucas dipped his finger in her ice cream and dabbed some on her nose.

She could see Nathan trying not to laugh, but he was losing the battle and soon joined in, dabbing another spot on her cheek.

"Not as pretty as the purple-ish ones," Nathan teased, referring to the violet colored calamine lotion spots. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before licking the ice cream that was left on his lips, "but it tastes better."

Screwing up his nose, Luke responded "I'll take your word for it."

While the boys were busy congratulating each other and joking about the shocked look on her face, Haley used her spoon to catapult a dollop of the desert at her best friend hitting him on the forehead.

"I think your expression is almost as good as mine was." She offered sweetly, giggling at the way her best friend's jaw had dropped.

Seeing his brother and his girlfriend staring each other down, ice cream all over their faces Nathan couldn't hold back his laughter. The two of them looked ridiculous and he just hoped that this little food fight would sort out their issues from earlier in the day.

"You two look ridicul… hey!" he exclaimed as Haley wiped an ice cream covered hand across his face.

"What… weren't you just claiming to be one of the _cool_ kids?" she asked innocently, biting her lip to stop from laughing at the adorable look of disbelief on her boyfriend's face.

"If you weren't sick…" he threatened playfully.

"But I am and you have to be nice to me." She said sweetly batting her eyelashes at the two Scott boys.

"I promise not to lose my temper with you again… but I'm confiscating that damn bell." Luke grumbled good naturedly.

"Way to ruin all my fun, Eugene." Haley chuckled at Luke's glare before deciding to change the subject. "Do you remember when you had measles in Elementary School?"

"How could I forget?" he replied with a shudder. His doctor had claimed it was one of the worst cases he'd seen with most of Lucas' spots blistering. It hadn't been the problem of itching for him, but the pain of blisters popping. "You refused to come near me! Some friend you are."

"Hey! I wasn't allowed to… besides, you looked like some scary creature from a sci-fi movie. Karen thought you were going to end up all scarred and hideous… well more hideous than you are now, anyway."

"Remind me why I'm friends with you again…" Luke joked, mussing up her hair. "What about you, Nate? What was your experience with measles?"

Nathan closed his eyes for a moment trying to decide whether to be honest or to sugarcoat the experience for Luke's sake. They'd spoken about Dan a fair bit in the last couple of months and while he hadn't hidden how domineering, pushy and single minded his father had been, he hadn't let his brother know that the cruelty had started as a child, not just in his teens.

"Well, my mom wasn't around - not a big surprise, really - so it was just Dad there. I was about eight at the time and had a little league game coming up so he was really pissed at me for getting sick and I guess he decided that it was all in my head and I should have been stronger and fought off the illness. He refused to take me to the doctor and got angry at the school when they called him to collect me and the school nurse told him I had measles. He acted like the concerned parent in front of them of course but as soon as we were in the car he was yelling at me for being a baby and telling me that if I was so determined to be sick then I could suffer like I obviously wanted to. I didn't really know what that meant until mom got home a couple of days later and mentioned the calamine lotion that I was supposed to have, but never got. Dad claimed I'd had it and of course I didn't want to get in trouble again so I just never said otherwise."

He looked up to find Haley and Lucas' horrified faces. It was obvious that Haley was trying not to cry, her heart breaking for the boy he'd been and the damage it had done to the man he was now, while Lucas just seemed stunned… like it was finally sinking in just what kind of person Dan Scott was, and that he was better off without him.

"Dan being a tough son-of-a-bitch does have its positives though. I was so determined not to let him see me in pain or discomfort so I refused to scratch. I don't have a single dent or scar from that time. So the story has a happy ending… and you get a hunk of a boyfriend." He chuckled smiling at his girlfriend and trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Haley leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I would love you, scars and all."

"You're lucky Nathan still loves you… purple polka dots and all." The blond boy teased, secretly touched by how much they loved each other. He could feel it when he was around them.

"He's right. You always look gorgeous to me." Nathan's promise was just a whisper against her lips.

Luke rolled his eyes in mock disgust. "Ugh! You two are so sickeningly sweet; I think I'm going to throw up."

Pulling away from the kiss, Haley threw a playful glare at her friend. "Can it Blister Boy. Just because nobody loved you when you looked like some freak out of a B-grade horror movie..."

Nathan watched the two friends teasing each other and laughing, and thought back to how Karen had inquired about his classes and basketball earlier, something his own mother hadn't bothered herself with once since he'd started at Duke, and he knew this was the happiest he'd ever been. Not only was he in love for the first time, but he also felt like he had a real family for the first time ever. It had taken a little getting used to, wondering if this newfound happiness would last but he was actually starting to believe it would.


	19. Chapter 19

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **_Thank for the lovely reviews for the last chapter. I apologise for the long, long delay but I moved interstate a couple of months ago and rarely get a chance to get on my computer, let alone peace and quiet to write. Also, the events of this chapter have been a long time coming and the pressure to deliver didn't make it easy. I hope you enjoy it._

_I owe a very big thank you to my writing buddy - Dawnie (BabbleBaby) who is amazing and really cracked the whip with me for this update. Also, thank you a million times over to Di (Paradisblue) who took the time to beta for me again._

* * *

"Hey, roomie."

Haley whipped around in surprise at Brooke's cheerful call as she came through the door of their suite, her handbag in one hand, an overnight bag in the other. Brooke had barely seemed to be around at all lately and they hadn't really talked much since she and Lucas had ended their 'sort-of-relationship' leaving things a little tense between the two girls.

"Hey, Brooke. I was wondering if you'd maybe moved out and forgotten to take your stuff." Haley teased, deciding that she'd take advantage of Brooke's good mood to do some teasing and perhaps find out where the girl had been disappearing to.

"Oh you know me… different night, different guy."

Haley inwardly winced at the flippant comment and careless shrug. As much as she'd love to know Brooke was joking, it was quite possible she'd reverted to her old ways with men. She'd been really hurt when things ended with Luke and sometimes old habits were comforting. Haley didn't want to judge her friend and would have no problem with her having some fun if she thought it was actually what she wanted rather than an attempt to get over what had happened with Luke. Embracing her sexuality and enjoying herself was very different to bolstering her self-esteem with meaningless flings or one night stands.

"Brooke…"

"So, how have you been, Hales? You and lover-boy still sickeningly in love?" she joked, pretending to stick her fingers down her throat. It was a blatant attempt to avoid discussing anything more serious and Haley let it pass, not wanting to ruin the easy atmosphere that hadn't existed between them for a while now.

"Ha. Ha." She deadpanned before smiling widely, excited to be talking like old times. "Since I got over the chickenpox things have been great. And yes, Nathan and I are still very happy, thank you." She expected another joke, but instead Brooke stopped before her with a look of such sad resignation that Haley wanted to take her in her arms.

"I know that I may not seem like it sometimes, but I am happy for you, Haley. You and Nathan have something really great. Don't ever lose it, okay?"

As if realizing she'd revealed too much, Brooke shook her head and plastered on a big smile before rummaging through her bag, pretending to search for something.

"Okay… Look, I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Luke."

"It totally doesn't matter. I'm over it. Things would never have worked out between us anyway. It's obvious he likes his girls a little more… well a little more everything, I guess." She ended with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Brooke, no! You can't believe that! You're amazing and Luke knows that. He's just got a lot of stuff going on right now and…"

"And yet he still has time to spend every minute of the day with you and Nathan, doesn't he? Would it have killed him to just include me in any of this?" she asked shrilly. It was like her whole body changed, her eyes glittering with anger and her posture stiffening, making her stand taller. "If he really wanted to be with me, he would, Haley, and I don't need you defending him. His explanation is a load of crap and if you expect me to be okay with it, then you can go to hell right along with him for all I care!"

"Hey!"

At the sound of Nathan's clipped voice coming from Haley's doorway, Brooke spun around, her eyes dark with anger as she glared at him for his interruption. He ignored the angry brunette and instead focused on his girlfriend who looked bewildered and hurt by her friend's outburst.

"Stay out of this, Nathan. It's got nothing to do with you." Brooke demanded roughly with her hands on her hips.

"You're yelling at my girlfriend, so yeah, this definitely has something to do with me." He growled, moving over to stand behind Haley who was still staring at Brooke sadly. Her shoulders were tense when he placed his hands on them, kneading softly in a show of support.

"I knew it would be like this! Lucas always treated you like shit, Nathan! Just months ago you hated each other! But now it's like nothing happened and you're the three fucking musketeers. It's like some exclusive club that can only be entered through blood-ties or sex. Guess you're a better lay than I would have thought." She spat out bitterly in Haley's direction. Even as the words came out of her mouth she regretted them, hating the hurt that shadowed her friend's face, but she couldn't stop. She'd been holding in these feelings of resentment for weeks and there was no stopping them from coming out now.

"Back the fuck off, Brooke." Nathan snarled, stepping in front of his girlfriend as though to shield her from a physical blow, even though it could never hurt more than Brooke's words had. "Don't say anything else you're going to regret."

"You're as bad as her and Lucas. Worse, even. I knew you before either of them and I don't think you've said more than a word to me in over a month." Grabbing the bags she'd placed on the sofa when she came in only moments ago, Brooke glared at the couple before storming out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Haley let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. What the hell had just happened? One moment it seemed like she and Brooke might be getting back to normal and the next it was like they'd never been further apart.

"Hey, you okay, James?" Nathan asked, pulling her close and kissing her forehead softly. He ran his hands softly up and down her back wishing he could take all the tension and the hurt away. He knew that Brooke meant a lot to her and that she'd been dreading something like this since the break-up.

Nodding against his chest, Haley focused on holding back her tears. She wasn't sure if they were tears of shock at what had just happened, anger at the unfairness of it all or sadness that it felt like she'd just lost a friend… and not even the friend she'd been worried about losing for months now. It felt like such a blow, almost as though the whole foundation of her current life was starting to crumble around her. Like it was just the beginning…

"Babe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Maybe she'll cool off." She added with a less than convincing smile.

"I don't care what she does as long she stays away from you. You don't have to put up with that crap, James. Maybe you should stay with me for a while."

"As much as I appreciate the offer… I can't avoid my roommate forever. We're going to have to sort it out sooner or later. It may as well be sooner... and if she goes off on me again, well I'll… I'll torch her wardrobe." She added looking up at him with a cheeky smile. She would not let this get her down.

"It's such a turn on when you act all tough." Nathan teased, nuzzling her neck and causing her to moan. Mission accomplished, he thought, glad he could distract her.

"As much as I'd love to continue this… you have an early practice session that you're going to be late for if you don't think about getting dressed real soon."

"Okay… I'll think about getting dressed." He sighed before quickly lifting her up in the air and chuckling at her squeal of surprise. Haley automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, and flashed him a matching grin. He always knew how to make her feel better.

"I thought you said you were going to get dressed for practice." She admonished, failing to suppress her delight at his change of mind.

"No… I said I'd think about it and I will… while we fool around." He murmured as he kissed her throat.

"Sounds like a good plan." Her voice was breathless as she raked her fingers through his hair, holding him to her.

"Uh-huh. I'm full of them."

"Full of something." She muttered, silencing his protest by pressing her lips firmly against his as he carried her back into her room.

"You don't seem to mind me filling you." he growled, waggling his eyebrows suggestively and chuckling at the blush that spread across her cheeks. Damn she was so adorable when she was flustered.

"God, I love you," he swore before kissing her fiercely and tumbling them onto the bed.

~*~

When she heard the knock at the door her first thought was that it was Brooke coming to apologize, but then she realized Brooke wouldn't have to knock. She has a key. Brushing away the dreadful feelings that came with memories of their earlier fight, she opened the door to find was Luke on the other side.

"Oh thank God you're here." She cried, realizing just how much she needed her best friend. While Nathan had been around earlier, distracting her from her thoughts, she had felt that she could forget about her morning confrontation, but once he left she'd been bombarded with a thousand conflicting emotions about the current state of her friendship with Brooke. The whole suite sparkled after her hour long cleaning spree, something that usually helped her to deal with her problems, but was failing to do so today.

When he didn't return her hug with much enthusiasm, Haley frowned and pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe you can tell me." He replied in a monotone voice. "Is it true, Haley?"

Confused by his odd behavior, Haley wondered if Brooke had continued her rant and confronted Lucas, giving him a tongue-lashing. But then, why would he be reacting this way? Maybe Nathan had seen him and told him about the fight. Perhaps he was upset with Brooke on her behalf. While she would understand it, the last thing they needed was Luke and Brooke going to war over this.

"Is what true?"

He handed her a copy of the school paper before folding his arms across his chest defensively, almost shielding himself from an invisible adversary. Glancing at the headline, Haley felt her stomach lurch. It was an article about Duke's superstar basketball player and the half brother he never knew. Glancing at the bottom of the article to find who had penned the words that were hurting her and the people she loved most, Haley shook her head when she saw the name. Erica! Erica had obviously overheard her conversation with Karen about their secret and had written an article using that information. If she wasn't so panicked about the consequences she would probably have felt the sting of betrayal from someone who was supposed to be a new friend.

Haley didn't know how she read the rest of the article. She couldn't even remember any of the specifics, but it didn't matter, it revealed to the public that Nathan and Luke were half-brothers and also that she, Haley James, had known about their relationship long before they ever found out. Her first reaction was to wonder how this had happened, but as she shakily placed the paper on the bench next to her she reminded herself that she knew it had been coming. Even when she'd tried to convince herself she could outrun this secret - that there would be a good time to admit to her best friend and her boyfriend that she'd known they were brothers and hadn't told them - deep down she'd known it wouldn't end well.

"Hales?" Luke prompted softly, the hope in his voice cutting her.

"Luke… I'm so sorry." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"How could you do that? How could you lie to me… to Nathan?" he asked disbelievingly. His eyes implored her to explain her actions, to have some sort of explanation that would make sense of this situation. That would change the fact that she'd betrayed his trust in her.

"I never meant to hurt you. I promise you that. I found out by accident at the end of the summer and didn't know how to tell you. When I realized that Nathan would be coming to Duke I decided to check him out; see what kind of person you were going to be finding out about. I was worried for you, Luke." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "I thought I was doing the right thing and I never thought I'd fall for him. It all just happened so fast and then you guys started to become friends and I was so worried that if I told you the truth you'd stop working on your relationship. I saw you starting to bond and become closer and I couldn't risk ruining that for you."

Even though it would be so easy to blame this on Karen, to explain that she'd wanted to tell him so many times, but had kept the secret for his mother, she couldn't do that. Both Karen and Lucas meant too much to her to risk damaging their relationship again. She'd have to hope that he could understand that she was looking out for him.

"So what? You began lying to help me and then you had to keep on lying to protect me?" he scoffed, his voice filled with derision. "That's bullshit, Haley."

"It's not, Luke!"

"It is! You're supposed to be my best friend! You're supposed to be the person I can trust most and you betrayed me!"

"I'm sorry." She cried softly, unable to stop her tears.

"Even after you saw how much it hurt me to know that Mom had been lying to me, you still didn't tell me that you knew all along. The Haley James I've known all my life would never be such a coward. I don't even know you anymore."

"Please, Luke. I know I've hurt you, but I was in a difficult position. Please try to understand…"

"Shut up! Just shut up, Haley. I don't want to hear anymore because I can't believe a single word that comes out of your mouth." He yelled picking up the paper and throwing it across the room where it knocked a picture frame off a side table sending it to the floor where it shattered loudly.

Haley jumped at the sound, her eyes wide when she registered the hateful look in his eyes as he glared at her. "He'll never forgive you for this… and neither will I."

She watched him leave, slamming the door behind him and felt like the foundation was no longer crumbling, but crashing down around her. Taking a few deep breaths and furious wiping away her tears, she moved over to the broken frame, carefully picking up the shards and placing them on the coffee table. At one point she almost nicked her finger on the glass, strangely curious to know if the pain of the cut would numb down the pain in her heart.

She remembered the days when their biggest argument would have been over who could climb a tree fastest or who had the largest serving of ice cream with Karen's apple pie… yet in the last couple of months she'd slapped him and he'd thrown a newspaper across the room, breaking her favorite frame; the frame he'd given her before she moved to college. It was a mahogany frame that had room for three pictures and he'd filled the first two for her; one with a picture of the two of them with Karen at the café and the other with a picture of them both beaming at the camera at graduation, their faces filled with both excitement for the future and a little sadness at the thought of living away from one another. When she'd asked him why he'd left the last one empty, he'd told her that they'd have plenty of great photos in their future and as soon as he came to visit her at Duke they'd be able to fill it.

Life had been so crazy for a while that they'd forgotten about their plan to do so, so it wasn't until Haley came across a picture of them with Nathan playing mini-golf on their trip to Tree Hill that she knew she had the perfect image to finish off the frame. She choked back a sob as she lifted the photo from the floor wondering if things would ever be like that between them all again.

She stared at the image for a long while before focusing on her boyfriend's smiling face and it suddenly hit her that this was real. Nathan was going to find out just as Lucas had and he was going to be so hurt.

"Nathan." She whispered. "Oh God."

Jumping to her feet, she quickly picked up the paper that still lay beside her on the floor and ripped out the front page, stuffing it into her pocket before racing out of her suite to find him. She had to explain this to Nathan before he heard it from someone else. It was still early and she doubted that any of the guys on the team would have seen the paper before practice so maybe she was in with a chance. Not that the outcome would be different, but at least he'd be hearing it from her. She couldn't stand him finding out the way Lucas had.

For a girl who usually couldn't walk two steps without somehow managing to trip over gracelessly, Haley managed to sprint all the way to the gym… well at least half way, where she slowed down to a fast jog, practically wheezing with her determination to get to Nathan. She got more than a few stares on the way and she couldn't stop from wondering if they were simply looking at her because she undoubtedly looked ridiculous as she darted across campus… or had they all read the article and were judging her for her lies and deceitfulness? It didn't matter. They could stare and point and laugh and jeer for all she cared. All she cared about was getting to him.

When she reached the doors, she stopped suddenly, bracing her hands on her knees and gulping in big breaths of air until she felt she had her breath back enough to hold a conversation. Haley knew she was hot, red faced and perspiring, not exactly the most attractive look but while she usually tried to look her best for her boyfriend, she knew it wouldn't matter if she'd magically morphed into a 6 foot, double D cup supermodel since he'd left her this morning, chances were he may not ever want to talk to her again.

Standing up, she took a deep breath, pushed some errant locks away from her face and opened the door. She saw him straight away. Nathan was impossible to miss on a basketball court… well anywhere really. She was always aware of him in any situation, like her body recognized his within moments. She'd always loved that and had thought it romantic, but how much would it hurt to be so connected to him if he broke up with her? She wasn't sure if she could handle that.

"Yo, Nate! Your missus is here checking up on ya." Lewis called out with a cheeky smirk.

Nathan glanced over at her with a wide smile, ignoring his teammates' teasing comments and catcalls. It wasn't often that Haley would show up during practice, but when she did the other players would try to make her blush. Not a difficult task.

"Hey, baby. What's up?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her. When he stepped back he noticed her disheveled appearance and his smile turned into a frown. "Did Brooke…"

"No. I haven't seen her since this morning." She promised, shaking her head.

"Okay. Good. So what's wrong? You look like you ran all the way here." He joked, knowing how much she hated to run.

"I did. I needed to talk to you." she said softly, glancing around them in hope that no one was listening.

Sensing her need for privacy, Nathan cupped her elbow and led her over to a bench on the far side of the gym where they could talk. She was nervous, which made him nervous. He reached for hand and was surprised when she gripped him tightly like she was afraid to let him go.

"James, you're starting to freak me out here."

"Sorry. I just… I don't know how to tell you this. You know what I'm like when I'm nervous – I just start stammering and rambling until I end up twisted like a pretzel and I don't even know what I was trying to say in the first place."

Barely suppressing a chuckle he reached out and tenderly stroked her cheek, lifting her chin up so she was looking at him. "Kind of like right now?"

"Yeah." She breathed, not even cracking the smallest smile for him.

When she didn't continue and the silence stretched on his mind went into overdrive from imagining all sorts of scenarios. "You're not… you're not pregnant are you?" He whispered the thought before he even realized it had entered his mind.

"What?" she asked shaking her head, wondering how he'd come to that conclusion. "No. I'm not pregnant."

"Okay, good. That would have been kind of scary but we could have dealt with it," he promised squeezing her hand, "so anything else is a breeze. Lay it on me, sugar." He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Okay. There's something that I have been wanting to tell you for months now. It's a secret I hated keeping from you, but I had my reasons and mostly it was to protect you… and Luke."

"Luke? What's he got do with this?"

Glancing up at his confused face, she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I was keeping it from him too. The truth is that I found about the two of you being brothers before the either of you did."

She watched him blink a few times, trying to take in the information. "How long? Like a day, a week…?"

"I found out last summer." She whispered so softly that she wondered if he'd heard her, but when she felt his arm drop from around her shoulders and his expression go blank she knew he had.

"Nathan, please understand that I hated keeping it from you. At first it was about protecting Luke, but then I got to know you and found out that you're this amazing, wonderful guy and I just knew you had to be a part of his life… and mine."

"Is that it?" he asked without emotion as he got up off the bench.

He was shutting down and shutting her out and she had no idea how to stop it. Did she even have any right to? Not really, not after what she'd done.

"There's more." She said resignedly. With a shaky hand she reached for the paper in her pocket, pulling it out slowly and passing it to him. She watched him read it searching for any sign of emotion, hating that he was hiding his feelings like he'd told her he used to do before he met her. Like his father used to do. The thought that she was responsible for making him act like his father, a man he loathed, had her feeling smaller than she could have imagined.

"I love you so much, Nathan and I'm just so sorry I've hurt you." Her voice was pleading with him to respond, to at least acknowledge her or her words, but it was no use.

Without a word, he looked up from the paper in his hand, staring at her blankly for a moment before dropping it to the ground and turning to walk away. Her heart lurched and she quickly jumped up and placed her hand on his arm, stalling him for a moment, but with barely a glance in her direction and just a quick shrug her hand was removed and he was leaving her. He didn't go back to his teammates, instead he headed for the exit ignoring the other players and the coach as they called out to him.

After the door had slammed behind him, the sound echoing ominously throughout the gym, Haley kept watching, clinging to a futile hope that he'd come back after having cooled off, but after long, painful minutes she knew it was hopeless. He wasn't coming back. She slumped back down onto the bench and stared at crumpled paper beside her shoes, lamenting the fact that she'd managed to lose her three closest friends in the space of a couple of hours. Brooke was hurt and not likely to talk to her any time soon. Even if Luke did decide to forgive her for this, she had hurt him badly and couldn't expect that forgiveness to come any time soon. As for Nathan… she may have lost him forever. What a morning it had been. Three slammed doors. Three lost friendships… and her first broken heart.


	20. Chapter 20

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **_Firstly, I'm so, so sorry for taking such a long time to update. I couldn't believe it when I realised it had been about 8 months! Life has just been crazy and my muse has been inspiring me to work on Holding on to Hope, instead of this, but a recent lot of PM requests got my butt into gear and I'm finally able to give you another chapter. I really hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you so much to everyone who is reading this, and to those who reviewed and PM'd me. Knowing that you're all still so interested in this fic after such a long wait really means a lot to me.  
_

_Thanks to Dawnie (BabbleBaby), my writing buddy whose nagging helped me move forward with the chapter!. I also need to say a big thank you to Diane (Paradisblue) because without a lot discussion and feedback from her last night, as well as her taking the time to beta, I think this update might have taken another couple of weeks or months to complete. You're the best, Di!_

* * *

Haley blew her nose loudly for the hundredth time and threw the scrunched up tissue on the ground, not caring that there would soon be a mountain sized pile of them littering the floor at her feet. Swiping furiously at the tears that kept leaking from her eyes, she mumbled to herself about being a cry baby and getting everything she deserved.

Ignoring the Molly Ringwald movie she'd put on in an attempt to cheer herself up, Haley surveyed the living area of her suite and realized that she hadn't left the sofa to do more than shower or go to the bathroom in over twenty four hours. What was a girl supposed to do when the people she cared about most in the world weren't talking to her? Nathan hadn't answered any of her phone calls or responded to any of her texts. Lucas wasn't responding either and she hadn't seen Brooke since their argument the morning before.

After the terrible scene with Nathan in the gym the day before, she'd headed straight home, stopping only to top up her supply of ice cream, Skittles and a few other bits of junk food. What did it matter now if she piled on a few kilos, it wasn't like anyone was going to care anyway. Seeing the redhead on screen winning over the popular boy and watching them share their first kiss, a loud sob escaped from her throat and a new round of fresh tears began to fall. Why did it only work out for people in the movies? For a while there she had begun to think of her relationship with Nathan as something that happened in the movies. She was of course the smart, klutzy girl who caught the attention of the school's sports star and after a whole lot of flirtation they'd gotten together to live happily ever after… only it hadn't happened that way. Maybe happily-ever-afters weren't real. Maybe after the end of every movie, the guy and girl broke up within a few months and she cried herself to sleep every night, ending up old and lonely surrounded only by her seventeen cats. Maybe happily ever after was a lie.

Hearing a knock at the door, Haley looked over at it warily. She'd been completely alone for a full day now and the thought of having to see or speak to anyone was oddly disturbing… especially because she wasn't sure she was going to like whatever the person on the other side of the door had to say. Feeling drained all the way to her bones, Haley slowly pulled herself off the sofa and wrapped the throw rug she'd been snuggling into around herself before making her way to the door. Peeping through the hole she felt her heart constrict at the sight of her best friend. She'd never been so happy to see him in her life. It almost didn't matter if he'd just come by to yell at her again… at least he wouldn't be ignoring her. If he was angry it at least meant he still cared.

It was silence that hurt the most. Nathan's silent non-reaction and then the lack of communication she'd gotten from both boys had been worse than any yelling could have been. Opening the door, Haley braced herself for the worst and was surprised when the first words out of Lucas' mouth were 'You've got ice cream all down your chin'.

Staring up at him blankly, confused by the random comment, Haley blinked before wiping at her chin.

"You really are a mess without me, aren't you?" he joked, before pulling her into his arms and wrapping them around her tightly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Hales. I'm sorry for everything I said."

Rather than respond, Haley hugged him tightly and sobbed into his chest. The relief she felt in that moment was incredible and she didn't want to let go. Luke had been there for her for years and having worried that she'd lost his friendship for good was more painful than she had ever imagined, so the amazing feeling of having him back was something she wanted to hold onto.

"Hey, c'mon. It's alright." Luke lead them over to the sofa. "Bought stocks in Kleenex, Hales?" he asked with a cajoling smirk as he looked at the mess surrounding them. She gave him a brittle laugh before pulling another one out of the box and dabbing her eyes with it.

"Sorry, I haven't gotten around to cleaning up… guess I wasn't planning on any visitors. I don't exactly have a lot of friends at the moment." She shrugged, showing him just how surprised she was to see him.

Glancing at the coffee table, Luke saw the remnants of the photo frame he'd given Haley and realized that it must have been what he'd broken during his rant the day before. Leaning forward he picked it up and sat back, pulling Haley into his side. "I was upset yesterday but I had no right to treat you the way I did. I'm really sorry, Haley."

"It's okay. I deserved every word. I'm the one who should be apologizing. Do you think you could forgive me… someday?"

"You're already forgiven. I know you were only looking out for me and I love you for that, Hales. You're my best friend and I know you'd never hurt me on purpose. "

He reached out and wiped away some moisture from her cheek. "No, you shouldn't have lied or kept such important information from me. But we all make mistakes. I spoke to mom last night and I know she asked you to keep it a secret so she could find a time to tell me. You were in a pretty awkward position. I really do understand."

"Thank you." Haley muttered with a sad smile as she looked at the last picture in the frame showing the two of them with Nathan.

"He'll come around, Hales. I was wrong when I said he wouldn't forgive you. He loves you and he will get over this."

"Have you seen him?" she asked, pulling her legs up underneath herself.

"No, I went to his dorm last night to check on him but he either wasn't there or wasn't answering. It's all over campus now so I figured he had to know about it." Reaching for her hand, Lucas squeezed gently. "You did the right thing by telling him face to face."

"It would have hurt him no matter how he found out."

"Yeah, probably. But it definitely would have been worse if he'd heard it from someone else."

"I love him so much, Luke. It's killing me that I've hurt him. God, I just want to turn back time so badly right now. I'd go back to the beginning and be straight with you both."

"Well we're no Doc and Marty and crappy car is definitely no DeLorean, so I'm afraid there'll be no 'Back To The Future' stuff for us, Hales." He joked, relieved to see his best friend crack a smile.

"If you start reciting Cher lyrics anytime soon you can go back to not talking to me." She retorted, emitting a half sob, half chuckle.

Grateful to see a little sparkle back in her eyes, Luke decided to let go of his dignity and promptly belted out the chorus of Cher's 'Turn back time'.

"Oh dear God, please make it stop!" she laughed, hugging her stomach.

"At least I'm not wearing the fish nets and suspenders."

The horrified, pinched look on her face, had him collapsing down on the sofa alongside her. When they finally pulled themselves together, Haley hugged him again, thanking her lucky stars to have one part of her old life back to normal.

~*~

"So you are still alive."

Luke watched as his brother froze at the sound of his voice before turning around with a glare.

"Did you want something?" Dribbling the ball as he walked, Nathan radiated impatience.

"Yeah, I want to talk to you. I've been trying to get hold of you for a week now and you're like the invisible man. I just want to know how you're doing." Turning his palms up in a gesture of surrender, Luke sighed heavily. Where had the easy friendship gone between them? It was like the early days when they'd both wished the other wasn't a part of Haley's life so they'd never have to meet.

"You want to know, or she wants to know?"

Sarcasm was a tool Lucas recognized. He used it himself when he was trying to stay guarded and in control. He knew his brother had every right to feel betrayed and angry and confused about what Haley had done, but he didn't have the right to start treating him this way. They were past that. At least he hoped they were.

"Well we both do, actually, but it's me who is asking. I care about you, Nathan."

Without so much as a glance in Lucas' direction, Nathan let out a humorless laugh as he took a shot from the free throw line. "Uh-huh."

Snatching the ball after it rebounded off the backboard and came his way, Lucas held it against his hip and stepped toward his brother. "So this is how it's going to be? We're going to pretend that we're not friends, not brothers?"

Feeling more than a little angry with his younger brother, Lucas cursed under his breath and threw the ball with full force so that Nathan stumbled back slightly as he caught it.

Sighing and shaking his head, Nathan looked back up at Luke. "No. Sorry, man. I'm just … angry, but I shouldn't take it out on you."

"It's ok to be angry, Nate. I understand. I was damn angry too when I found out." Chuckling, he rubbed his chin looking sheepish. "Actually, I was a total dick; ranted and raved like a toddler and even threw things like a kid having a tantrum."

When he saw the dangerous glint in his brother's eye, Lucas realized his mistake. Nathan might be angry with Haley, but he still loved her and his protective streak was a mile wide. Hell, he understood it, being fairly protective of his best friend too, so mentioning that he threw things was not a particularly smart move.

"If you threatened her or hurt her in any way I'll fucking kill you."

"Whoa! Ease up, Nate. I would never hurt, Haley. You know that. Things just got a little heated and I threw a newspaper across the room. I know I'm an ass and I already apologized to her."

Nathan nodded his head, letting the subject drop.

"So how are you really doing? I know it's like a big scandal or whatever on campus at the moment. How are you coping?" Luke held out his hands, gesturing for Nathan to throw him the ball.

"Honestly, I've ignored it. I go to class and ignore the stares and whispers and I come to practice where my teammates know better than to gossip about my private life. Hell, they've got better things to do than gossip about me. So I guess it's not really affecting me as a public thing."

Luke read between the lines. Dealing with the issue privately was a different matter and not so easy to do. The brothers took turns shooting hoops for a while, chatting about how Luke's writing was going and how Nathan thought the Blue Devils would go in their next game; basically covering safe topics that in no way included Haley James.

Deciding he'd waited long enough and covered enough small talk, Luke addressed the issue they'd been avoiding.

"She's doing okay, by the way."

"I didn't ask."

"No, but you want to know."

Taking Nathan's silence as a grudging admission, Lucas joined his brother who had walked away from him over to the bench where he kept his towel and bottle of water.

"She misses you and she's hurting, but she's doing okay. Hales isn't used to being in the spotlight like you are, Nate, so all of this attention; the gossip, the stares are bound to get to her, but she's dealing with it. I think she figures she deserves it, you know? But our girl's strong. It'll all blow over, but until then she'll be fine."

Nathan didn't respond as he packed his belongings into his backpack, but Luke wasn't fooled. He was listening.

"Alright, man. I'm gonna head out, but if you want to talk or anything you know where to find me."

Nathan looked up and nodded, giving a distracted smile. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

Luke grinned as he exited the gym. No way was Nathan going to be able to ignore Haley for much longer. His brother cared about her, no matter how upset he was. Luke wasn't sure how, but he knew that his brother and his best friend would work it out.

~*~

After hearing about Luke's conversation with Nathan, Haley had pulled together the courage to take the next step and go to see him. It was easy to ignore phone calls, but it wasn't so easy to ignore someone at your doorstep. She took a deep breath and straightened her back before knocking on the door. As she waited for a response, holding her breath to listen out for voices or footsteps, her heart hammered loudly in her chest and made the task of listening impossible. When long moments passed without a response, she readied herself to give up, feeling increasingly dejected by her boyfriend's, or possibly ex-boyfriend's, refusal to have anything to do with her. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard the unmistakable sound of Nathan's footsteps. Her already thumping heart grew louder and as she anxiously tucked her loose hair behind one ear she realized that her hands were shaking.

The door opened slowly and she saw a flicker of surprise cross Nathan's face before he quickly schooled his expression.

"What are you doing here?"

She almost wished he'd asked the same question with a bit of anger. At least that way she'd be getting some kind of reaction from him. The whole time she'd known him, Nathan had been so expressive with her, never really holding himself back. She knew he'd been this distant during his teens when things were tough at home, but he'd changed since then; had been proud of the way he'd changed and she hated to think that she'd caused him to regress back to the guarded, untrusting boy he'd once been.

"I… I just want to talk."

His eyes bore into hers for a moment before he shrugged and opened the door to let her in.

Entering his suite had always been such a joy, so comfortable that the awkwardness she felt now was almost surreal. Her eyes darted around searching for any signs of Damien or Becky.

"No one's here."

"Nathan, I'm so sorry about..." His hand slashed through the air and she quickly halted.

"I know you're sorry, Haley." The use of her full name from his lips was so foreign that she almost flinched. "That's not the problem. The problem is that you were the one person I've been able to put my trust in completely since I was a kid and I just found out that I couldn't trust you from the very beginning."

Tears felt so indulgent at that moment, when she knew that his inability to trust was founded and all her fault, but she couldn't stop them. She'd always hated her inability to hide her emotions and she cursed herself for it now. She didn't want to be one of those women who used tears as a weapon. She didn't want Nathan to feel sorry for her, she wanted… she wanted his trust back and dissolving into a puddle was not going to help matters.

"It was from the beginning, right? You sought me out; spied on me for Lucas, didn't you? Are you really as klutzy as you seem, or were all of those 'accidents' at the beginning deliberate to get my attention?"

"No!" Swiping at a few stray tears, she stepped closer to him and felt her heart break when he immediately countered her action, stepping back even further away from her. "It wasn't like that, Nathan, I swear! I had no plans of talking to you at all in the beginning. I admit that I had every intention of finding out what I could about you for Luke's sake, but I didn't seek you out. I don't know how it happened, but things kept pushing us together and I… I couldn't stay away."

"I just can't help but wonder if any of it was real." Shaking his head, he looked at her with a desperate sadness that almost broke her heart. "Were we real?"

"Yes! God, Nathan of course we were real, you have to know that. All of it was real. I promise you that, baby. I've never once lied about the way I feel. I love you."

The silence was deafening. The phrase had never really made much sense to her before, but suddenly it was crystal clear. As she stood there feeling like she literally had her heart in her hands waiting for him to accept it and offer his own in return, Haley wondered if she'd ever felt so vulnerable. She knew she may deserve it, but if he rejected her now she didn't think she'd be able to bounce back from that any time soon.

Without even realizing it, she'd begun chanting 'please say something' over and over again in her head; her eyes pleading with him to declare that he still loved her. The longer the silence between them stretched, the louder the voice in her head became until she closed her eyes and shook it out. Looking away from him, she held back a sob that was trying to break free and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." Her whisper was so faint that she wondered if he'd heard it, but as she glanced up again and saw the pain in his eyes, she knew that he had. Turning her back on that painful expression, Haley moved slowly towards the door.

Nathan's large hand came into view just as she'd turned the handle and began opening the door. He pushed on the wooden panel, closing it again and stood behind her, both of them quiet except for their breathing which was becoming heavier by the moment. She could feel his breath in her hair, down her neck and it sent her blood pressure sky-rocketing. Only this man could put her senses into overdrive without even touching her.

The sound of him softly sniffing her hair reminded Haley of the times when they'd made love and he'd burrowed his face into her hair, inhaling her scent as though touching her wasn't enough, being inside her wasn't enough; he needed to draw her inside of him too.

Her breasts brushed against his chest as she turned to face him, her quick intake of breath not allowing her to hide how quickly her body was responding to his nearness. Not that she was embarrassed. She reveled in her need for him and she desperately wanted him to know that everything she'd felt, not just in her heart, but with her body had been real from the beginning. With her mouth only millimeters from his throat, she had to stop herself from placing her lips there and tasting the mixture of salt and sweetness she knew she'd find.

Unsure of how long she'd been standing there in that blissfully torturous position between Nathan's hard chest and the door, Haley was brought out of her lustful fantasy when she felt his breath on her face and she lifted her gaze to meet his. That was all it took. In just a single moment their composure was shattered and his hands gripped her face tightly as she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down and moaning with pleasure as his lips captured hers in a bruising kiss.

A week apart suddenly felt like an age and their bodies were crying out to make up for lost time. His tongue was searching as she moved closer, her moans growing louder as Nathan ground his hips against her, the unmistakable ridge of his erection nudging her stomach. His hands were everywhere and she was on fire, her skin burning at his touch even through her clothing. When he tugged at the bottom of her shirt, she instinctively removed her arms from his neck and lifted them into the air allowing him to remove it effortlessly.

Her eyes were glazed as she watched him remove his own top with an urgency that matched her own need to feel his touch; to have his skin on hers. She quickly unclipped her bra and threw it to the ground before he pulled her back to him, his lips taking hers with brutal force, their mouths melding and devouring each other. There was no other way to describe the feeling of being in his arms again than coming home and when he lifted her up and pinned her to the door, his arousal pressing into her, she thought she could die a happy woman. Wrapping her legs around him, she kissed him with a fierce hunger and raked her fingers through his hair, the way he liked. His tongue trailed along her jaw and up to her ear where he gently bit her earlobe before whispering "I need you."

Haley stilled for a moment, slightly disappointed that she hadn't received a declaration of love, but disappointment soon lost out to lust as he continued to kiss down the column of her neck.

"Bed. Now."

Almost as breathless as he was, Haley nodded her head and held on to him as he carried her through to his bedroom, not caring that half of their clothing was scattered over the floor. The nagging feeling in the back of her mind telling her to stop, that this wasn't going to fix anything between them, was ignored. She didn't want to think about tomorrow or if this was a mistake. None of it mattered. The only thing that mattered in that moment was the fact that she was with the man she loved. With Nathan would always be the only place she wanted to be.


	21. Chapter 21

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **_Sorry it took so long to update again... but at least it was only a few months this time hehe. Now that I have completed _Holding on to Hope_, I will be focusing solely on finishing this fic, so hopefully the wait for the next update won't be too long. __  
_

_Thanks again to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and sending PMs. I appreciate your support and patience. As always, a big thank you to Dawnie (BabbleBaby) for her feedback and to Diane (Paradisblue) who also gave some great feedback and came through for me again by offering to beta at very short notice._

_

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Haley stretched, her body extending like a satisfied feline, her soft purr only confirming the image. Opening her eyes, she found him watching her and smiled. Last night hadn't been a dream. She'd really spent the night with Nathan.

"Morning." She whispered, reaching across to stroke his cheek. Her smile faded as he continued to just watch her, a strange look on his face. "Nathan?"

"Last night was a mistake."

Haley swallowed. Her mouth was dry and her heart hammered in her chest. She'd known this would happen. Known that she'd rushed him into this without them working out any of their issues… and at the time she'd thought it was worth it, that she'd be okay with it and not let his rejection tear her apart. But she'd been wrong. It felt like her heart was being squeezed and ripped from her chest.

"Oh. Okay." She mumbled, not able to look him in the eye. Reaching for one of his sweatshirts beside the bed, she sat up, the sheet covering her breasts. She felt so damn vulnerable and naked in front of him already, there was no way she could handle this without clothing.

Thank God her jeans were in his room. It was bad enough that she had to go into the living area for the bra and top he'd discarded in their frenzy the night before. She prayed silently that Damien and Becky hadn't come home to see the clothes strewn around the suite.

"I'm sorry I ambushed you like that. I should have just respected your wishes and left you alone. But you know me; I never know when to give up. Always trying to make things better. My mom used to call me a meddler. I guess she was right and she would know; I inherited it from her. She used to drive my family crazy trying to get everyone to talk out their problems instead of just leaving them the hell alone. Anyway, I'm rambling…" she finished, needing to take a breath. Her cheeks flamed, embarrassed by her stupidity. Did she really think coming over and forcing him to talk would make things better? That sleeping together would change anything? Well, she'd hoped, but deep down she knew last night as they'd made love that it wouldn't fix a damn thing.

"Haley…"

She could hear the softness and hesitation in his voice. He felt sorry for her and it made her embarrassment that much worse.

"I'm just gonna go." She whispered softly, still unable to meet his eyes.

As soon as she left his room and closed the door she felt the vice around her heart ease up a little and she could breathe again. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." She muttered.

"Looking for this?"

The brunette's head shot up at the sound of Damien's voice. He was smirking as he held up the bra that had been discarded the night before.

"See, babe. They totally made up. I told you it wouldn't take long." Damien winked at Haley before passing her the bra.

"I…"

"It's okay, Haley. We've all done the walk of shame at some point." Becky chipped in from her seat at the bench. "Although I don't know why you'd keep it a secret. I'm just so fucking relieved that you two got your shit together. That boy's moods have been worse than my mother's and we don't call her 'The-Bitch-Monster-From-Hell' behind her back for nothing."

Nathan's door opened behind her. This was getting worse and worse. It was bad enough admitting to herself it had been a one-nighter, but having to tell others was mortifying. And real. It made it real.

"Thank God you came to your senses, emo-boy." Becky gave him a genuine smile, and then turned to Haley. "Don't do anything like that again. He's an ass when you're fighting and I don't want to put up with that shit. Anyway, we're going out now so… you know, continue."

"Actually I was just leaving." Haley headed straight for the door, only turning back when she heard Nathan call her name. Turning slowly she stayed silent. Not sure if his words would soothe her or bury her.

"I'm sorry."

She couldn't respond. Instead she nodded and left without a word, the tears in check until she got outside and far enough so that he wouldn't see.

Nathan stood rooted to the spot, staring at the door.

"What the hell was that?" Becky demanded as she stomped her way over to him.

"Becky, I don't want to talk about it."

"Well I don't care. You love that girl. God knows it took me long enough to understand why, but you do and she's… well, she's not that bad."

"I think what my girlfriend is trying to say is that she likes Haley."

"Whatever. Not the point." The blonde dismissed the comment, not wanting to admit that the girl she'd hated avidly from day one had actually grown on her.

"Then what is the damn point and are you going to get to it any time soon?" Nathan growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"She's good for you! You love her and she's good for you, is my damn point, Nathan Scott. Why the hell would you risk what you have with her for some stupid misunderstanding?"

"You don't know the full story."

"I know enough. She lied to you. It may not have been for bad reasons, but she lied to you and she hurt you. Now you're being all sulky and doing that thing where rather than taking a chance and opening up and forgiving the person you love, you're being a scared little boy and running her off so you can't ever get hurt again."

"And what makes you the expert, huh? As far as I know, psychology isn't your major."

"Because I do the same damn thing, Nathan! I know what you're doing because I do it too. I've done it all my life. And do you know what made me change? What made me see that what I had was worth the risk of getting hurt?" she asked sending a small smile to Damien, who took her hand.

"You and Haley. I saw how much you changed when you were with her. How open and honest and real you were. I wanted what you guys have… because what you have is definitely worth the risk."

~*~

Haley lay on her bed, listening to the mix tape Brooke had played when she broke up with Lucas. Now she knew why her roommate had been so emo for weeks. Every song was so depressing and the well of despair in her chest only seemed to be deepening, but she didn't care. It matched her mood and she didn't have the energy to change it.

She'd stopped crying over an hour ago, but her eyes hurt almost as much as her heart. If Nathan was still angry or ignoring her, then there was a chance he'd move through it and come back to her, but if he was able to make love to her the way he had last night and still not forgive her… then there wasn't much hope of that ever changing. What would be the point in a relationship with no trust?

There was a slight knock at her door but she couldn't hear the voice over the music. Considering Lucas was the only one talking to her now, she didn't need to guess at who it was anyway.

"Come in." she yelled, not bothering to fix herself up. Luke had seen her at her worst. Luke wouldn't judge her.

"Hey."

"Brooke." She whispered, both surprised and wary. Haley James was in no state to go into battle. But rather than looking angry or petulant, her roommate's face was filled with concern. Normally, she'd be racing to the bed and hugging her, but today she stood still, seeming to hesitate, not knowing her place.

"Are you okay?"

She was about to answer 'yes' as she usually would in such a tense situation. She and Brooke had issues they needed to sort out that were completely separate to the Nathan drama she had going on… but seeing her friend standing there with her worried eyes and soft voice shattered her control and she burst into tears.

"Tutorgirl, what's wrong?" Brooke asked, crawling onto the bed and wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl. "Oh God. Is it me? I'm so sorry for how I've been acting lately and what I said last week. I had some stuff going on and I had no right to take it out on you. You're my friend and I hate that I hurt you."

Taking a few deep breaths, Haley pulled back and wiped her eyes, noticing that Brooke had been crying too, her makeup running down her face. She'd be so pissed that her waterproof mascara wasn't so waterproof.

"No. Well that's been part of it, but it's not why I'm sitting here like a fifteen year old emo-child listening to slit-my-wrists-music with the blinds closed." She said attempting a joke, but it fell flat.

"Yeah, I thought the music was familiar. Maybe we should turn it off now before you turn into the raving psycho bitch I was."

"Well we wouldn't want that." Haley replied with a smile as she hit stop on the remote control, doing her bit to ease the tension.

"So what's going on?"

Haley shook her head. "You really have no idea, do you? Have you been on campus at all this week?"

"No. To be honest I've been too mortified to come back before now. But we can talk about that later. This is about you."

Haley explained what had happened with Erica's story and how Luke and Nathan had reacted, finally ending with her night spent at Nathan's.

"Wow. I can't believe all that happened in one week. You do know Nathan didn't mean it, don't you? About it being a mistake. That boy is crazy in love with you even if he's too hurt to admit it."

"But he's right, Brooke. It was a mistake and we both knew it at the time. Sleeping together was never going to fix anything. The feelings are still there but something's missing. I don't think he can trust me anymore… and I guess there's no one to blame but myself."

"Oh, I call bullshit on that one. So, you didn't tell him about Lucas being his brother? You were sworn to secrecy! It's not like that had anything to do with the rest of your relationship. He needs to get over it."

Haley chuckled at her friend's loyal, if not slightly biased, comment.

"Thanks, Brooke, but relationships need trust and if he feels he can't trust me then there isn't much hope for us."

"He'll come around. Just wait and see."

Brooke's confidence somehow managed to lift Haley's spirits a little. She smiled. "I hope you're right."

She knew that she probably should have still been angry with her friend, because Brooke deserved her anger after the way she'd treated her, but it just wasn't there anymore. She'd been through so much lately that she was just so glad to have her friend back… and she seemed genuinely sorry for her actions.

"Okay, so now that we've dissected my drama-filled love life, why don't you tell me where the hell you've been this week? I swear, if you hadn't left that lame 'I won't be home this week' message on the answering machine I'd have been calling the cops by now."

Brooke sat back a little and Haley knew she was building up her courage. The other girl found it difficult to apologize and even more difficult to open up, so this was not going to be easy for her.

"I'm sorry if you were worried. I guess I didn't think you would be. I don't feel like I deserve your worry to be honest." Reaching for Haley's hand, Brooke continued. "I stayed with a friend. Joe, actually. He's been good to me through all of this."

"I had no idea you were so close, but I'm glad he was there for you."

"Well I tried to get his mopey ass over you when you and Nathan became an item, and we would talk a lot at the bar. Somehow we just sort of became friends." Seeing the curious glint in Haley's eye, she added "Just friends. I'm not ready to see anyone after Luke."

"Well I'm glad he was there for you. He's a good friend."

"Something I haven't been. I am so sorry for everything, Haley. I was horrible and said horrible things and I wish I could take them back, but I can't. I just hope that you can forgive me."

"Of course I can forgive you. But you have to tell me what's going on. We've been worried about you."

"Okay, well I guess it all started a little while ago… after Luke and I split." The brunette twisted the bottom of her shirt between her fingers, unsure of how to go on. "I thought I was pregnant and the only person I wanted to talk to was you… but then I didn't think I could tell you because it would put you in the middle. You'd want to tell Lucas and I wasn't ready to tell him before I knew for sure."

"Oh God. Are you? Were you?" Haley asked, horrified that Brooke had to go through that alone.

"No. It was a false alarm." Seeing that Haley wasn't quite sure how to react, she chuckled. "Yes, it was a good thing."

"I wouldn't have told him until you were ready, Brooke. You're my friend too."

"I should have known that… but that's not really the issue. I guess it all started to spiral when I noticed that you weren't really around much anymore. In my head I kept thinking how even if I'd wanted to confide in you, I wouldn't have been able to. Which I know now is stupid because a single text or call would have been enough for you to make time for me."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. Things got a bit awkward after the split and I guess none of us handled it well, but you have to know that I will always have time for you, Brooke."

"I know. I wasn't myself. I was stressed and scared and I started thinking about how I needed a friend but I didn't have anyone now that Luke and I were over. The three of you were always off together and I was never included. I guess resentment just started building up and the anger grew from there. It was irrational and the way I acted was wrong, but I want to be honest with you so you know what was going on, even if it doesn't make much sense. I want to fix this, Tutorgirl. Fix us. I love you… and I miss you." she sobbed.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm ready to move past it if you are."

Hugging tightly, the girls were so happy to have their friendship back on track. They may have started the year as strangers, but the bond they'd built was important and neither wanted to lose it.

"Now, I think I've shed half my body weight in tears… so it must be time for some ice cream. You in?"

"As long we get to eat it while planning Erica Marsh's slow and painful death… then, Hell yeah, I'm in."

Haley's eyes widened as she let out a gasp. "Oh my God! Mouth! I haven't heard from him all week. He must be devastated. I mean… he would be, right?"

"Of course! His girlfriend is a manipulative, nasty whore. There's no way he's forgiving anyone for that, especially not for hurting his friends."

"How about we put the ice cream plans on hold?"

"Don't forget the slow, painful death plans… I have a feeling Mouth will want in on those. Let's go get our boy."

~*~

"Hey, man."

Nathan nodded, glancing at his brother with a worried frown.

"God, don't look like you're about to get your ass kicked every time you see me. You'll give me a complex." Luke laughed, gesturing for Nathan to pass him the ball.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. So how are you holding up? Still getting the stares and whispers in the corridors?"

Nathan groaned. "It's fucking unbelievable. Why do people even care? Surely they've got better things to do than gossip about me and James… and you."

Luke held back a smirk at hearing Nathan use his nickname for Haley. Every time they'd spoken lately he'd refrained from using the endearment. It was only something small, but it was still something.

"It didn't bother me at first, but as the week's gone on it seems to have gotten worse. I don't know how much more I can deal with."

"Well… I was thinking, and you don't have to say yes, but you could always move into my place if you want out of the dorms. You know...if you want to get away from it all?"

Nathan looked stunned. He searched his brother's face for any trace of humor, but found none. The offer was genuine. Besides Haley, he hadn't felt like he'd had anyone on his side, anyone he could turn to in such a long time. Now he had a brother. They'd been gradually getting to know each other, but this was different. It felt like they were really brothers for the first time.

"You mean that?"

"Sure. I'd love to have someone to hang out with. It can get kind of boring there by myself." He added, trying to make the offer casual, just in case Nathan thought the idea was ridiculous. Working out this brother stuff was hard.

"Won't it make things kind of awkward… with Haley, I mean?"

"Look, I know you two aren't talking yet, but you will at some point. You're my brother and she's my best friend and you're going to cross paths no matter what. It'll be fine."

"I don't know if the offer will still stand after I tell you this…"

Holding the ball against his hip, Luke gave him a pointed stare. "Do I need to do some ass kicking?"

"I slept with Haley."

"Oh. Well what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be busy right now?" Lucas grimaced as he said the words. Yes, he was cool with the two of them together but it didn't mean he liked thinking about it.

"It was a mistake."

Lucas' jaw dropped at the same time as the ball hit the ground. "Are you kidding me?"

"Not now, Luke. I really don't need a lecture. It was a mistake and I feel bad about it, but there's nothing I can do to change things. And if your offer comes with strings, especially strings related to Haley, then you can forget it. Thanks but no thanks."

"You really are an ass sometimes. Of course my offer doesn't come with strings!" Dribbling the ball to let off some steam, he turned back to Nathan. "You actually told her it was a mistake?"

"I feel bad enough as it is, alright. I don't need you making me feel worse!" Nathan shouted, running a hand through his hair. "She deserves better than this, I know that. But she came to see me and I've missed her so much and one thing led to another. But it doesn't change anything. I'm still mad and I still can't trust her."

Hearing the sincerity and confusion in the words, Lucas' anger drained out of him. Nathan really was still hurting and he wasn't to blame for all of this.

"Is that the problem, Nate? You think you can't trust her? That she'll lie to you again?"

"No."

Luke waited patiently, knowing that his brother would talk when he was ready and it seemed that he'd finally get to the real root of the problem.

"I can't… I can't trust that what we had was real. I can't trust that she really loves me. How much of us was real and how much was lies?"

Luke was surprised. He'd thought his brother's anger and confusion had been about the fact that Haley had lied, when it was really his fear and insecurities telling him that she had never loved him. Getting these two back together was going to be easier than he thought. Any idiot could see that Haley loved his brother. Now it was just a matter of getting his idiot brother to see the truth.

"She loves you. Deep down, you know she loves you. It seems like you just need to talk to her and find out exactly what happened and how things evolved in your relationship. I know what you guys had was real, but in the end it only matters that you do. You need to sit down and talk to her, Nate."

Nathan didn't respond, simply picked up the ball that had rolled near his feet and executed a perfect slam dunk. "How about we play a little one on one? Winner gets the large bedroom."

Lucas scoffed. "In your dreams. You get the spare room or the couch. Your choice."

Shaking his head, Nathan feigned disappointment. "And you call yourself a brother."


	22. Chapter 22

**Title: **Little White Lies

**Summary: **Haley's keeping a secret… a big secret. Her best friend Lucas has a half-brother, but she can't tell him. Her solution? Investigate said brother, but falling for him wasn't part of the plan. She'll learn that little white lies can lead to big, big trouble.

**Author's Note: **_So... it took a few months to update again. Sorry 'bout that. This is the final chapter before the epilogue and hopefully it won't be too long before I get around to that. I can't believe I'm almost finished!__  
_

_Thanks again to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and sending PMs. Dawnie (BabbleBaby), as always, deserves a big thank you for her support and for her suggestions.__ She really helped me a lot with this update.__ I also need to thank Miss Kris who was a great sounding board for me. Once again, thanks to Diane (Paradisblue) who was able to beta for me at short notice and provide some good feedback._

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Luke sat down on the couch and handed Haley a glass of coke and a bowl of popcorn. She was grinning like the Cheshire Cat and he couldn't wait to hear the rest of her story. Erica Marsh had caused a lot of issues writing what she had about Haley, Nathan and himself and if Karma had kicked her in the ass he wanted to know about it.

"I know I shouldn't feel so good about it, but honestly I'm so happy Erica got what was coming to her. This morning every student received an email with a fake copy of the college paper. Mouth and Brooke did an amazing job of it. It looks just like the usual paper, but every single article is an embarrassing story about Erica and there are even some photos in there I'm sure she won't want everyone seeing."

"Holy shit. I knew you guys wanted payback, but you didn't tell me you were planning anything this big."

"I wasn't. I didn't even know anything about it until Brooke urged me to check my emails this morning. She and Mouth had been working on this for over a month! Those two were ruthless... and damn proud of themselves."

"How the hell did they pull that off… and without getting caught?"

"That's the thing, they did get caught! They broke into Erica's office at the paper last night and hacked into her computer. Apparently Mouth knew she used the same password for everything and they just uploaded their version of the paper and sent it out using Erica's list of student emails. A security guard saw their flashlights and found them just after they'd done it. The two of them had even dressed up in all black with masks, making a total adventure of it all. They went all out… and I mean all out. Brooke had a cat-suit and thigh-high boots on!

"You can't be serious!" Luke spluttered as he choked on a mouthful of coke. The image was part hilarious, part arousing.

"Oh, it's true. Then, Bill, you know, the creepy guard that always patrols the campus at night hauled them into the security office and if Brooke hadn't promised to take him along to Polly's and introduce him to all the girls, he'd have called the Dean in."

"That girl can talk her way out of anything." Luke said with a touch of awe and nostalgia.

"Yeah, she can be pretty amazing." Haley speared him with one of her meaningful looks.

"Way to be subtle, Hales." Luke rolled his eyes at his friend and then said seriously "I screwed up so bad with Brooke. I didn't mean to hurt her the way I did and even though I know I needed to sort things out alone… I could have handled the situation a lot better. I don't think there's any way to fix it now."

"Do you want to?" Haley asked, leaning forward. She'd thought her best friend and roommate made a good couple, but they'd both insisted for so long that it was just a bit of fun. Eventually Brooke showed obvious signs of falling for Luke, and for a while now she'd known that his feelings went a lot deeper than even he had originally realized.

"I miss her… but it's too late now anyway." In an obvious attempt to change the subject and lighten the mood, he picked up a piece of popcorn and threw it at his friend. "So you can stop your oh, so subtle hints any time now."

She scoffed grabbing a handful of popcorn and throwing it back. "Like you've been subtle in any way with regards to me and Nathan in the past month. "

"Well, that's different. You guys are both being stupid and stubborn. You belong together and need to stop avoiding each other. It's not exactly easy living with him and being your best friend when you go to great lengths not to run into each other."

"I'm sorry this is hard on you, Luke, I really am." Haley sighed, placing the bowl on the coffee table. "But I don't know if it's ever going to change. I don't think I can ever just be friends with Nathan again… and us being a couple is not likely. Not when he still doesn't trust me and can't stand to be around me."

"You need to talk it through. I know it was a serious reason that broke you guys up, but not getting back together seems like one big misunderstanding. Just talk to him, Hales. He'll be home from practice soon." Luke looked away guiltily.

"What? You said he had a late practice today! What the hell, Luke?" She exclaimed, jumping from the couch and frantically gathering her belongings. "You can't just expect us to work things out and live happily ever after because it would make things easier on you. It's not going to happen."

In her flustered state Haley hadn't noticed the front door open and Nathan enter the room before standing frozen in the doorway, but Luke did and he decided it was time to take advantage of them finally being in the same room.

'You still love him, Haley, and I know he still loves you. Just talk to him."

"You think I don't know that!" She yelled throwing her hands up in frustration. "Of course I still love him. I love him so much it hurts to breathe sometimes. I don't think I'll ever stop loving him and yes, I know he still loves me… but it doesn't change anything. I learned that the hard way. Talking won't fix anything; it just leads to bad choices and embarrassing moments."

Sighing, she sat back down, the fight leaving her body. She looked back up at her best friend with tears in her eyes.

"I've tried to apologize so many times and I've tried to work things out but he doesn't trust me. He just can't see past my mistake and realize that I love him; that even though I told some lies to begin with, my love for him was the truest thing I've ever known. It was so real, Luke. It still is. I knew I should have kept my distance from him when I got here, but I couldn't stay away! It was like we were constantly being thrown together. First he became my friend and then I fell in love with him so fast I couldn't have stopped it. It hurt to keep my secret from both of you, but I didn't know what else to do. It felt like everything was spiraling out of control and the only thing I knew for sure was that I loved you both and I wanted you two to know each other even if I lost you both in the end. You don't know how much it means to still have you, Luke, but losing him… I feel like a part of me died. I just don't have the strength to fight anymore. If Nathan can somehow learn to trust me again and get past all this, then he needs to make the first move because I can't take the humiliation of being rejected again, Luke. I really can't."

Luke wrapped his arms around Haley and sent his brother a pointed look, knowing that she had just unknowingly given Nathan the answer he needed. Nathan had told him weeks ago that he couldn't trust that what Haley had felt for him was real. Well, how could he doubt it now? She'd just poured her heart out and proven she'd loved him all along. It was up to his brother now.

"I'm sorry." She pulled away and wiped a few errant tears. "I need to stop crying over this… and you need to stop meddling. Just let things be, Luke."

"Okay. Whatever you need, Hales."

"I'm going to get out of here. I can't face seeing Nathan right now."

"Too late." Nathan's voice said softly.

Haley's eyes widened as she turned to face her ex-boyfriend who closed the front door and moved forward to place his gym bag on an empty chair. She didn't know what to say. Her heart was racing with panic. They'd managed to avoid an awkward meeting since the night they'd spent together and he'd just caught her at the worst moment.

"Hi."

"Hi." She searched his face, wondering what he was thinking and how much he'd heard but she should have known Nathan could mask his feelings well. He'd grown up needing to do so to protect himself from his father. They stood there looking at each other for what felt like hours, but must only have been seconds. When Nathan didn't say anything further, she looked away and rushed past him, murmuring a quick goodbye to them both.

Nathan stared at the door long after it had closed behind her. He was so confused. His heart was telling him to run after her, but his feet wouldn't move. How could he be such a coward? He'd spent years hearing his father tell him that he wasn't loveable. That people only ever gave him the time of day because of what he could do for them. He was the star. He was good looking. His family had money. But he wasn't actually loved by anyone. Ever since he'd understood that his father didn't love him and had the power to make him feel so bad about himself, he'd been shying away from any chance of his father hurting him. He held back his own love, knowing that if he didn't give it, Dan couldn't use it against him. But that was Dan. Haley was nothing like his father.

"What are you doing, you moron?!" Luke exclaimed jumping up from the couch. "What more proof do you need that Haley loves you and has loved you from the start? Are you really going to let go of what you guys had out of stubbornness or stupidity… or fear? There's no guarantee your heart won't get broken again, Nathan, but isn't she worth the risk?"

"I… I don't know."

Shaking his head, Luke sighed heavily. "I'm done. If you don't do anything about this now, then you don't deserve to have her. You're my brother, and I love you. That won't change, but she's my best friend and if you're too much of a coward to go after her, then maybe she's better off giving up on you."

~*~

"Hey, roomie. Have a good day?" Brooke called as Haley entered their suite.

"Sure." She replied with all the enthusiasm she could muster, which in her current state wasn't much at all.

Hearing the sadness in Haley's tone, Brooke came out of her bedroom straight away with Mouth following after her. "Nuh-uh. Can't fool me, Hales. What's wrong?"

Haley dropped her bag onto the floor and slumped down onto the sofa. Seeing Mouth, she offered a small smile. "Hey, guys. Done any breaking and entering today?"

"Hardy-har-har," Brooke deadpanned before plopping down next to Haley on the couch and wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "What happened?"

Haley struggled out of her friend's grip. "Brooke, if you're going to comfort me like that, make sure you've got some decent clothes on. I haven't enjoyed having my face in anyone's breasts since I was a baby."

"I could sure use some comforting." Mouth joked with a lascivious smile and a poor attempt at a 'come hither' stare that had both girls giggling.

When they'd all stopped laughing, Brooke returned to her previous questioning. "You have your Nathan-depression face on. You missing him today?"

Haley laughed without humor. "I wish. I saw him today. It was harder than not seeing him."

"Wow. It's been over a month... since the night that shall not be mentioned. How did it happen? You've been avoiding that boy like the plague… Oh wait, let me guess. Luke. I knew my meddling skills would rub off on that boy." She stated proudly, and her friends didn't fail to notice that she could now talk about Luke without an edge of anger or pain like she had before. Sometimes there was even a hint of fondness in her tone.

"Of course it was Luke." Haley sighed, then smirked at her friend, "And thanks for pointing out that I can blame this on you."

Brooke stuck out her tongue. "So… how is Luke?"

"He's good. He's been writing a lot. I think now that all this stuff about Dan is behind him, and he and Nathan have started to build a real relationship, he's feeling more settled. He's ready to move forward.

"That's good. I'm glad." Brooke smiled sadly, shaking her head. "I really want him to be happy."

"He misses you."

"Haley. Don't start matchmaking. Getting me and Luke back together won't fix you and Nathan or make you feel better."

She sighed and slumped further into the sofa. "Normally I'd disagree with you… but today I'm wondering if anything will make me feel better ."

"It can't be that bad. What happened?"

"You mean besides humiliating myself _again_ by pouring out my heart to Luke without realizing Nathan was there to hear it?"

Brooke and Mouth both grimaced.

"Oh, and then I ran out of there like a big-fat-scaredy-cat."

"Scaredy-cat? Totally. Fat? Not likely. All this stress has you heading into Posh Spice territory. You're going to eat some of the pizza we've ordered."

"I'm hardly a walking skeleton who can't sing, but I get your point… Mom." Haley chuckled and rolled her eyes, but knew her friend was right. She hadn't been eating properly lately.

"Hey, it's not for your welfare… it's for mine. No way do I want to be the fatty in this friendship." Brooke ducked as a pillow flew at her head. Sitting back up, she grinned widely; glad to see the Haley's feisty side make an appearance. "I wouldn't care, but your boobs are still bigger."

"Oh I don't know - whip your shirts off, girls. I'll be completely impartial, I promise"

This time two pillows flew at the boy's head, knocking him off the sofa. "Perv!"

Mouth gave them his best puppy dog eyes before quickly changing topic. "So… did Nathan say anything today?"

"About my boobs?" Haley quipped, wanting to avoid the subject for as long as possible.

"Hales?" Brooke sighed, both friends eyeing her with concern.

It was that concern that broke her determination to avoid the subject. Haley shook her head, all playfulness disappearing. "I didn't give him a chance to… and I don't know if I'd like what he had to say anyway. I told Luke I couldn't take being humiliated again so I was done fighting. I said it was up to Nathan to come to me now if he could get past all this." Her voice dripped with self-loathing. "I caused this mess. I hurt him and now I give up fighting for him because of my pride? Why would he even want me now?"

"Hey, don't even go there, Tutor-girl. Self-pity is not your color." Brooke said, standing from the sofa. "You obviously didn't mean it… so now you stop being a 'big-fat-scaredy-cat' and avoiding him like you have been the last month. Go and talk to him. Fight for him. It's obviously worth any embarrassment or bruised pride. I know you, Haley James, and you love him enough to keep fighting."

"You're right. I do. I'm going back over there. I need to talk to him."

A knock on the door had Mouth jumping from the couch. "Want to stay for some pizza, first?"

Haley shook her head, standing up and grabbing her bag ready to leave. "No thanks. I need to go over there before I lose my nerve. Wish me luck."

"Luuuck." Brooke yelled. "Mouth, pizza money's on the counter."

"Umm… I think this delivery's for Haley."

"What? I didn't order anything." She said, moving towards the door. She froze as she saw Nathan standing there.

Mouth rushed over to Brooke, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the suite. "Ok, well we have to go. Have fun. Play nice. Enjoy our pizza. Bye."

"Nathan. Hi." Haley greeted, nervously.

"Hi. Can I come in?" He asked, sounding just as nervous as she was.

"Oh, um sure. What are you doing here?"

"I'm making the next move." He smiled, handing her the gift he'd brought along.

Haley blushed at his words, realizing he'd heard her tell Luke that she wasn't going to fight anymore and that he had to come to her.

"Do you like it?" He asked anxiously, nodding at the vase in her hands that she'd ignored in her effort to pull herself together. She placed it on the bench, taking a good look. It was a glass vase, but rather than containing flowers, it was filled almost to the brim with Skittles. She giggled and quickly placed a couple of candies in her mouth.

"It's perfect. Thank you. You really didn't have to though. You don't owe me anything, Nathan. I was actually just heading back over to see you. I felt so bad for just leaving before."

"It's okay, James." He promised, reaching for her hand.

"No, it's not okay. I can't take anymore misunderstandings so I need to tell you that what I said before about not fighting for you anymore, well I didn't mean it. You mean too much to me to give up on us now because of my stupid pride. I love you, Nathan, and if there's even a chance that you might forgive me and we can be together again, then I'll keep trying. I know it will take time and it'll be hard, but I can wait. I'll wait as long as you need. I promise."

"Well I can't. I can't wait anymore, James. I've wasted enough time holding onto the hurt and anger about it all. I know that none of this was intentional and you never wanted to hurt anyone. I've always known that. It wasn't the problem."

"Okay, well what is it? What can I do?" she asked, placing her other hand around his, holding it tightly. Pleading for him to give her an answer, something she could do to make this all right again.

"You don't have to do anything, baby." He whispered, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his free arm around her. "I was dealing with some doubts about us, about what we had, but they're gone now. I know you're the one for me, James, and I trust in you and in us. I'm sorry it took so long for me to figure it all out. I love you."

They freed their hands so that they were wrapped in each other's arms, holding tightly. Nathan kissed her hair, drowning in the scent of her, the scent he'd missed so much for too long now. The feel of being held by him again, of feeling so loved and protected was intoxicating, but Haley knew she could fall under a false sense of security again. She had to be sure that this was about really getting past their problems and not a need to be close.

Pulling away, she looked up at him, her face serious. "Are you sure, Nathan? There are obviously some major trust issues here and I don't want to make the same mistake we did last time. I can't go through that again."

Nathan winced at the crack in her voice. He hated how things had gone last time they were together. He'd hurt her badly and it was something he was determined never to do again. His hands slid up her arms and shoulders to cradle her face.

"This is different, James. I wasn't ready before. I was still working through my feelings and I was upset. I needed you so badly that night, needed to hold you and feel you and know you loved me. And you did, I felt it, but I couldn't believe it. I know it sounds so lame talking about my crappy relationship with my dad, but I think I had so much trouble believing that you really loved me and that what we had built was real because I'd been brought up to believe that people were always out to get something from me. He always told me how no one actually cared about me. That they were really only after something I could give them or something I could do for them. And most of the time he was right."

"Oh, Nathan." She sighed, stroking his cheek. "I hate that he made you feel that way. He was wrong, you know. You have so much more to offer than your status or your money. There are people out there who like you, for you. You have to start believing that."

"Well… I think, now I do. You've given me that, James. I know that there will still be people out there ready to use me, but because of you, I know that some people just want to be my friend… and lucky for me, you wanted more than that. You love me and just want me to love you back."

"That's all I want, Nathan. It's everything to me."

"Well I do. I love you more than I ever knew I could. You're my world, Haley James… and my life is empty without you."

"I feel the same way." She replied, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"And I want to apologize for what happened at the dorm."

"Oh, you don't have to, Nathan. It was my fault pushing you like I did."

"No. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't a mistake, baby. Maybe we jumped into things too fast, but the two of us making love could never be a mistake. I hate that I hurt you the way I did. Forgive me?"

"Of course. Forgive me?" she asked anxiously, searching his face.

"I forgave you weeks ago. I know you were just trying to do the right thing by too many people. Your heart is too big, Haley James. It's going to get you in trouble sometimes. I can accept that."

Haley grinned widely, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Their first in way too long. It wasn't until they heard a loud banging on the door that they realized they'd zoned out, blocking out the world from their reunion.

"Must be the pizza guy." Haley sighed. "Can't we just pretend we're not here?"

At that moment her stomach grumbled loudly, causing her cheeks to blush a rose red.

Nathan laughed, kissing her quickly. "How about we pay for these pizzas and have a few slices. I know you're hungry… and we may as re-fuel. We'll need all our energy for dessert."

Haley laughed at his smirk, her body tingling at the thought of what he had in mind. No doubt it involved moving into the bedroom.

"Sounds perfect."

"Mmmmm. Brooke and Mouth have awesome taste in pizza." Nathan took the last bite of his slice and sighed contentedly.

Haley reached out to wipe off a smudge of sauce that dripped on his chin and then sucked it off her finger. "Yeah, I love pepperoni with a dash of sexy boyfriend. It's my favorite."

"As good as this pizza is, I'd prefer something a little sweeter." Nathan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her across to sit on his lap.

"Well I could grab the skittles..." Haley offered with a teasing grin and started to move away before he pulled her back down to him.

Leaning down to kiss him slowly, Haley sighed against his lips. "Sweet enough for you?"

"Definitely sweet enough." Tucking a stray lock of hair behind Haley's ear, Nathan locked eyes with her. "I would be happy to spend every night like this. You're the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Nothing makes me happier than just being with you, Nathan. I love you so much.

"I love you too, James."


End file.
